A Biblical Analysis
We are putting a bathroom and kitchenette in our basement, and I bought a Formica-covered countertop and a drop-in sink for the project. The next step is to figure out how to insert the sink in the countertop.
Have you ever been in this situation? I thought the process was pretty straight-forward, until I saw that I needed a new jig saw blade.
So–being a product of the 21st century–I checked out some YouTube videos. Since I had to buy a new blade, I wondered if there was one that was preferred for cutting through Formica (though I kind of expected to use just a simple, regular fine-tooth blade).
Well…was I wrong! It turns out you need to buy a special blade, determined by whether you are going to cut downwards from the top, or upwards from the bottom. Who knew?
The reason I tell this story is to illustrate that sometimes we have to go beyond what seems obvious–what seems to be true–to find out the real truth in any situation.
For example–regarding Cro-Magnon Man…
There is a word that I use a bit more than most people would like, “epistemology”. Epistemology describes the study (or science) of knowledge, especially in the sense of knowing what is true.
What do you think is the source of truth? Like if you’re building a wall, you usually use a level and a measuring tape.
For that kind of project, those are your sources of truth.
When the Bible and what Scientists say seem to disagree, why do you believe the Scientists? Have they earned your trust? Have they proven their trustworthiness?
Did you know that:
- Cro-Magnons were–for all intents and purposes–not very different, physically, from modern Europeans.
- “(They) carried a mtDNA sequence that is still common in Europe…” (https://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0002700)
- Carbon dating is not as reliable as most people think, and the assumptions on which it is based are open to question.
- “The amount of Carbon-14 in the atmosphere has not been steady throughout history. In fact, it has fluctuated a great deal over the years.” (https://anthropology.msu.edu/anp264-ss13/2013/02/07/radiocarbon-dating-a-closer-look-at-its-main-flaws/)
- Radiocarbon dating is periodically “tweaked” (recalibrated using new data).
- “The result could have implications for the estimated ages of many finds…which according to the latest calibrations are 1,000 years younger than previously thought.” (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01499-y)
Let me ask you a question–Are you willing to base your opinions about the Bible, God, heaven and hell on what the Scientists are saying…today?