Are the Biblical Claims Involving Stars True and Accurate ?

Faith Versus Science: Are the Biblical Claims Involving Stars True and Accurate ?

When we look up at the night sky we see bright shining objects that we call

collectively as stars. What are these objects, why are they there, and what do they

do? These questions have been on the minds of humans for at least 10,000 years.

Numerous religions have placed spiritual or prophetic significance to them, in some

cases spurring entire religious thought. The Holy Bible makes several claims

regarding stars and events involving them. But are these claims true? This article

will look at some of the religious claims made of stars and contrast it to what

modern science has learned so far. As always readers are strongly encouraged to make

comments, counter claims and ask any questions on the subject matter that may be on

their minds.

The question of what these objects are and what is their purpose has been a question

asked and documented by numerous peoples throughout history. Among some of the most

famous cultures that addressed this question include the ancient Greeks, the ancient

Egyptians, the Mayans (of Central and South America), the Arabs (specifically Iraq),

the Chinese, the Persians, as well as ancient Timbuktu. Ancient observers noticed

that certain brighter stars formed patterns in the sky and that the visible patterns

changed every certain number of days, and after a certain number of days the same

patterns reappeared and the cycle seemed to continue indefinitely. This is the

origin of the calendar. This is how humans learned of days, months and years, and

were able to determine that a year was 365 days. In other words a specific pattern

that lasted for 30 days did not reappear until 365 days later. It turned out that

certain patterns appeared during certain seasons and weather patterns. This is how

humans associated certain months with specific weather that we now call seasons.

The ancient Greeks who documented these star patterns named them according to how

they resembled certain animals that were known to be active during those months and

seasons. The Greek word for animal is zoon, and from this we got the term zodiac,

meaning animals in the sky. Based on this they were able to divide the sky into

specific regions that they called constellations meaning groups of stars, the Greek

word for star is stella. As with all ancient peoples the Greeks associated some

spiritual significance to these observations and began making predictions of human

behavior or outcomes of human endeavors based on the zodiac. After several years

these beliefs became what we now call astrology. Even though the Greek astrology is

the most famous in the western world it must be noted that all other cultures that

have a documented history of star observation have astrology systems of their own.

For example the ancient Mayans in what is now southern Mexico had a system based on

18 patterns, with two being observable each month. This resulted in the Mayans

thinking a year consisted of 260 days or 9 months. Coincidentally a human took 9

months of pregnancy. So one can easily see how spiritual ideas of who or how this

child will become in future was believed to be based on when they were conceived or

what a good time for conception is. Therefore Mayan history shows numerous customs

and taboos about when or how men should have sex with their wives etc.

The reason why different cultures observed different constellations is due to the

fact that how one observes a star depends on the point of view of the observer

because the earth is a sphere. So someone observing in Ghana will see a different

range of stars than someone in say Australia. Also the same star may be observed by

two geographically separated observers but due to their different positions they may

see that star closer to different other stars because their range of view is

different because they are at different locations on the globe.

So to address some of these questions we must start off by asking what is a star and

what is the origin? When light is propagated through a transparent container

containing gas the light picked up on the other side by on a light sensitive paper

(photographic film), forms a rainbow on the film. This rainbow we call spectrum.

However on closer observation we see that certain parts of the rainbow appear blank.

Depending on what gas is in the container a different specific location on the

rainbow appears blank. This is called spectral lines. Spectral lines can therefore

be used to identify any gas (or element) in the universe. This has been known since

1814 when a German optician named Joseph von Fraunhofer demonstrated a device he

invented called a spectroscope. Von Fraunhofer noted that if the container contained

multiple gases each one produced its own spectral lines and the intensity of the

lines matched with how much of each gas was pumped into the container. Von

Fraunhofer then pointed his device at the sun and various stars in the night sky and

recorded their spectral lines. Von Fraunhofer was not an expert in chemistry so he

was unable to interpret all his results or even interpret them correctly. It was not

until 1925 that Cecilia Payne, a British-born American working at Harvard used this

method to demonstrate that stars consist of almost 90% hydrogen, 10% helium, and

some other trace elements. She also demonstrated that the amounts of these gases

indicated that stars were several million times more voluminous than earth. These

findings contradicted the accepted theories of the time, and also Payne was woman.

Her report was rejected, ridiculed, and she was threatened with dismissal from her

post. Even her own supervisor warned her not to publish such a silly report. However

four years later other works confirmed Cecilia Payne was 100% correct. In 1967 she

received US National Medal from President Lyndon Johnson. Since the sun and stars

show similar spectral lines it was concluded that the sun is itself indeed a star.

It is because we are so close to it that we see it as something different, but like

any other star it is simply a ball of burning hydrogen gas. Nothing more nothing

less. In another article I will demonstrate how this burning process occurs, and how

heat, light and other elements are produced for us to enjoy on earth. So Cecilia

Payne?s discovery is very important because hydrogen is so abundant in stars and

stars are the most abundant objects in the universe it implies that hydrogen is the

most abundant element in the universe. Therefore any theory that attempts to explain

the origin or workings of the universe must be able to explain this vast amount of

hydrogen. The biblical creation story offers no information on this matter. If the

big bang theory cannot explain this or predicts something opposite then we would

know that theory is false. However it turns out the big bang theory predicts with

stunning accuracy the claims of Cecilia Payne.

The next question is what is the origin of the sun ? From the previous chapter we

can conclude that if stars are almost entirely hydrogen gas and that stars are the

most numerous objects in the universe, then hydrogen gas is the most abundant

substance in the universe. From our high school science we were taught that

hydrogen has one proton, and one electron. It is therefore the simplest elemental

matter in the universe. The big bang model as well as cosmic inflation conclusively

demonstrate how this simplest form of matter that can exist independently was formed

from the initial ?bang?. It turns out that hydrogen formed almost 99.9% of all mass

created during the big bang. So as the early universe expanded spread out and

cooled, clumps of matter (hydrogen ) were drawn together by gravity. These are what

today we call galaxies. Stars can only form within specific regions within a galaxy.

Within these galaxies further compression and high pressure of these accumulated

gases at certain points caused the atoms to smash together causing nuclear fusion.

Hence the first stars lit up the universe. Nuclear fusion is the process by which

two hydrogen atoms collide to form helium, however the total mass of the helium

atoms does not equal that of two hydrogen atoms, the difference is converted to

energy according to Einstein?s famous equation E = mc2. Nuclear fusion has been

replicated here on earth and confirmed to be true and correct. The atomic bombs

thrown on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are a testament to this. The former soviet union

also produced and tested over 30 such devices during the cold war, so no amount

religious rhetoric and creationism can tell us otherwise. In conclusion the heat and

light from stars including our sun come from self sustaining thermonuclear

reactions, no gods are necessary.

At this point we shall note some salient facts about light energy and the lives of

stars. From Albert Einstein we know that nothing in the universe can travel faster

than the speed of light. The speed of light is approximately 299,000 kilometers per

second. We know that the sun is 150 million kilometers from Earth. Therefore it

takes roughly 8 minutes for light from the sun to reach the earth. The distance

traveled by light in one year is called a light-year. We know that the Andromeda

galaxy for example is 2.5 million light years from us. That is it takes light from

any star in that galaxy at least 2.5 million years to reach us. So if we observe the

Andromeda galaxy tonight with our telescopes from our backyards we are actually

looking at it as it was 250 million years ago. So the age of the universe suggested

by the bible as being around 6,000 years old, we can now know for a fact is it is

false. The most distant stars we have observed are 13.7 billion light years away

from us, so we know the universe is at least 13.7 billion years old.

According to the processes by which stars generate energy and propagate light

(nuclear fusion) a star like our sun will burn for around 10 billion years. So far

based on the spectroscopy I have already explained today we know our sun has been

burning for about 5 billion years, and in another 5 billion years from now the

hydrogen will finish and our sun will die. When stars ?die?, based on their mass a

number of things can happen. For stars like our sun they simply fade away over

another few million years called a white dwarf. If the star is about 2 times more

massive than our sun it will form a neutron star. Neutron stars are dense smaller

objects with excessively high gravity that would squash all life. If the mass is

about 3 times the size of our sun the sun will explode in a giant explosion known as

a supernova. Anything in the path of this explosion will be obliterated. And finally

for any other more massive star, upon death, it forms a black hole from which not

even light can escape. Either way, life and us humans would no more be sustainable

on Earth and we would have to move to another solar system or galaxy if we want to

perpetuate our species. This is what Stephen Hawking spoke about recently in a BBC

interview, stressing that we would be more wise to invest in science and build the

technology needed to escape such mass extinction events than the current madness ,

wars, politics, and religious nonsense we are so pre-occupied with at this time.

At this juncture, with this deep knowledge we have discussed about stars I would

like to review some of the claims of the bible and see if they are true and accurate

concerning stars.

Genesis Chapter1:

013 And the evening and the morning were the third day. 014 And God said, Let

there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and

let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 015 And let them

be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it

was so. 016 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and

the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

So now we know this is false. If there was no sun how could there be two previous

days and night? Also the stars are not set in the firmament because there is no

firmament. Stars are many millions some billions of miles away. And stars are not

great lights, they are balls of hydrogen gas, the moon is also not a light it a

planetary object , it simply reflects light from the sun.

Revelations Chapter 9

001 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth:

and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

So we know this is false. Stars cannot fall to earth and create holes in the ground.

If the author was referring to a meteorite why did he call it a star?

As well as other scientific blunders and illiteracy expressed in the bible as facts

and prophesy.

The earth is flat, has four corners, is standing on pillars that prevent it from

shaking, and is immovable. (1 Samuel 2:8, Job 9:6, Job 38:4, Isaiah 11:12,

Revelation 7:1, Job 38:13, Jeremiah 16:19, Daniel 4:11, Psalm 93:1-3, Psalm 96:10,

Psalm 104:5, 1 Chronicles 16:30, Matthew 4:8)

Daniel 4:10-11 declares the earth is flat, "10 These are the visions I saw while

lying in my bed: I looked, and there before me stood a tree in the middle of the

land. Its height was enormous. 11 The tree grew large and strong and its top touched

the sky; it was visible to the ends of the earth."

Ends of the earth? Yeah right. And everyone on earth could see it? I see, so someone

in Australia can see a tall tree growing in Israel? Well up to someone in Israel and

up to someone in Australia are almost opposite directions because the world is a

sphere, so this is false. Yet it is claimed to be the perfect word ofa living

creator being. Sadly enough this creator being is an illiterate.

kwaku ba ?August2010