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
