The Bible's scientific accuracies.

Note: The scientific concepts here are elementary i. e. spherical earth, the water cycle, jet streams, etc so I will use a wiki for the most part. Isaiah 40:22 – He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth This statement is said to show how the early prophet knew the earth was a sphere. The claim originates in H. Morris's book "The Bible and Science" 1986. Generally, creationists have abandoned the "scientifically accurate" statement and changed it to "consistent with" science. [1]The claim has been parroted by Kent Hovind and Janet Porter. The problem here is that the cosmologies at the time Isaiah was written are consistent with a belief that the earth was a flat circle, not a flat square according to popular myth, but a circle. [4] The flat circle is consistent with the rest of the verse as the image Isaiah conveyed was that of a dwelling with the heavens serving as the domed roof and the flat circle of the earth as the floor i. e. like a tent. The earth is not a flat circle; therefore, this statement cannot be scientifically accurate. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy. This statement is said to convey the fact that the prophet knew the universe was expanding i. e. stretching. The expanding universe was not known until the 20th century so that would indeed be an accomplishment, but this verse taken as a whole with the previous conveys a dome that was stretched over the flat circle of the earth so as to be a roof, a protective cover God created so we can have a home, not a statement conveying a still expanding sky. The universe is still expanding and is not stretched over the earth remaining static. This statement is not scientifically accurate. Isaiah 40 makes clear the image the prophet wished to convey – a tent; the very word used in the text. This theme is not presented here alone. Ps 19:4, 102:4. Isaiah is referencing a tumultuous time for the Hebrews; a period marking the expansion of the Assyrian empire and the decline of Israel. (See NIV: Introduction to Isaiah) Isaiah 40 is themed on providing comfort during this time, showing that God has given them a home and they will prevail. No need to extrapolate meaning here, just read the whole chapter. Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, Says your God. Isaiah 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord Will renew their strength They will soar on wings like eagles They will run and not grow weary, They will walk and not be faint. Ecclesiastes: A beautifully written book; the author is debated but could have been Solomon himself. The main theme is the meaninglessness of life without God. A short book and one I recommend for any lovers of ancient writing. The wind/water cycle: This verse is said to be the first mention of the jet stream, a phenomenon not known until the 1920's. [3]The jet stream does go round and round, unfortunately for Biblical literalists (I prefer the term selectivists), the jet stream goes from east to west, not north to south. [2] Creationists have taken the musings of the author, one describing everything as meaningless, not new, and threw the water cycle and the jet stream in the middle of it. Here is some context so we can enjoy these musings more fully: 4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. 5 The sun rises and the sun sets, and hurries back to where it rises. 6 The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. 7 All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. 8 All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. 9 What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. These passages are not describing the wind or water cycle, they are simply presenting the concept that all things come and go and are meaningless without God. No wind God, no water God, no sun God, just God and the cycles of nature which he created. Attempts to extract jet streams and a scientific principle that explains precipitation, canopy interception, snowmelt, runoff, infiltration, subsurface flow, evaporation, sublimation, advection, condensation, and transpiration is erroneous. [5] Conclusion: The resolution cannot be confirmed. The passages my opponent presented either flatly contradict known science or need to be removed from the surrounding context so as to present a rudimentary observation that may fit within known scientific laws, if we ignore some parts, all the while claiming ancient ownership of a well researched and established scientific principle. Because such steps are needed in the verses that do not stand in direct opposition to science, we should reject the resolution so as to maintain the historical accuracy of scientific discoveries and keep the context of a book, whether divinely inspired or not, that holds significant sway in the modern world. 1. . http://creationwiki.org... 2. . http://en.wikipedia.org... 3. . http://www.creationists.org... 4. . http://en.wikipedia.org... 5. "The Nature of Science". James Trefil