Science & The Bible: Debatus Infinitum

Ahhh, science... The excuse for angsty, know-it-all high school "atheists" use to discredit everything in the Bible. This and the Old Testament antiquated laws (stoning children, slaughtering cities, etc.) are the entire basis for their argument. Pulling off the balancing act between Science and Biblical beliefs can be tricky, switching personalities, convictions and beliefs at a moment's notice to fit the environment around you can be a tough experience. Here's a tip: DON'T DO IT! Reasons:

1. Easier to just not do that.
2. Just because someone else believes something else, doesn't mean you *must* agree. Grow a backbone. Variety is the spice of life.
3. Giving up morals for acceptance is a pretty scummy thing to do.

Yes, I understand that it might be uncomfortable to face others with your beliefs, but totally changing sides isn't the answer. That said, let's move on. 

Science and the Bible can be complementary. Any time that there was a miraculous natural event (parting of the Red Sea, water from the rocks, manna from heaven, etc.), even if it can be explained through Science, it was set up by God and heavily controlled to achieve a specific goal. Science can both be described as a tool of God, and our way of trying to understand Him.

Perspectively: Approaching the Bible (My Way)

In class, we discussed several ways on how to approach the Word of God. Since my other blog posts have been (more or less, close enough to, don't judge me) objective, I decided to describe the way I approach scripture.
Scripture, to me, will always be the actual words of God Himself. They are the breath of God (All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16)). God Himself, is the author, while the writers were used as conduits. They were not, however, just, to use a crude metaphor, fax machines (receive data and print it out). They all had their unique writing styles that were woven into the message, but the message itself was not altered by their human wills. While humans aren't perfect, God is, and He protected His words throughout the ages, from the original, through every translation and iteration of His true Word. I believe in the infallible, true Word of God. I believe that it is still relevant to daily living, and essential for a healthy relationship with the Almighty.
While this is but a short description, this is what was discussed during class, and it felt fitting to stop at that. 

Biblical Translations: Then & Now

Language is a living creature that changes each and every day. With new words being added to the dictionary every year (2011: bromance, tweet, social media; http://www.merriam-webster.com/info/newwords11.htm), language itself has no choice but to follow suit in the never-ending cat and mouse race that is progress. So too, did the Word of God have to undergo frequent changes in order to stay relevant. While some people prefer the King James Version (KJV), most of us prefer a newer translation for our everyday bible reading, such as the New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (NIV), or the New Living Translation (NLT). 

Translations are kept, scrapped, revised and rewritten in order to stay within the confines of the current culture. In the article "Plastic Meaning: How changes in language over time affect Bible translations", it explains how words and their meaning have been twisted and effectively changed through time and public influence. The article explains it using just the word 'awesome' as an example:

"All one needs to do is look at the overuse (and neutering) of the word “awesome” over the past few decades to see how quickly our language changes. “Awesome” has been used in my presence to describe everything from a sandwich to football. Somehow calling God awesome these days doesn’t carry the weight that it once did."

Why are there so many translations within the same era of language? The answer: personal preference. In order to stay relevant and still appeal to large and different groups of people,the Word has to be in different flavors. Some people feel more comfortable with an NIV (myself included) that they would with a paraphrase like The Message.

Either way, apart from being a very smart business strategy, new translations and iterations of the same Word of God are a necessary adage to the original, if only to stay relevant and current in a volatile and constantly changing world.

Effect of Language Changes on Sacred Texts

Language evolves, that is a fact of civilization. In George Orwell's 1984, newspeak is the only language that shrinks, and it shrinks due to the government control and interference in people's lives. Unless language is allowed to thrive and grow freely, civilization itself becomes stunted, both culturally and educationally. Granted, some language evolution, such as modern ones, might not be beneficial to the culture  , it is extremely influential to the people. Language has been evolving since the beginning of mankind.
During my research (thank you Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_change), I have found several kinds of language evolutions:
1. Lexical Changes (Vocabulary and Expressions)
2. Phonetic Changer (Sounds and Pronunciation)
3. Spelling Changes (self-explanatory, e.g. e-mail is now officially email)
4. Semantic Change (Word Usage)


These changes are being undergone by all languages at all times, for they are constantly used in different ways. The Hebrew that was spoken during biblical time is not the Hebrew they speak today. Of course they have tons of similarities, but the language has evolved. Think about the language shift English has experienced since medieval times. Heck, English has changed drastically since the Civil War. If languages themselves are so affected by these inevitable and necessary changes, how much more has the Word of God been impacted by them? 

Understanding the Biblical Time Through Geography

While  geography is not integral, per se, to the acceptance of biblical knowledge, it is extremely beneficial to the understanding of it. Being a preacher's kid, apart from being surrounded by a pastor who would take any and all opportunities to preach, I have had plenty of time and study to get acquainted with the bible. However, anyone who knows me at all and has been in a car with me can tell you, my skills and understanding of navigation are obscenely terrible. So being forced to map out most of the Middle East in our map tests was, while very challenging, extremely helpful to my core understanding of the Bible and biblical stories. Knowing where Jericho, Samaria, Babel, and all the modern countries surrounding them, helped me realize how influential the surrounding world was to the growing of the Gospel.

In the study "Understanding and Experiencing the Historical Geography of Israel" (http://bible.org/seriespage/understanding-and-experiencing-historical-geography-israel) , the author says:
"Geography affects history. Trace any civilization back to its origin, and geography provides the stage of history’s drama. Be it a strategic military position, an abundant water supply, or a convenient traveling route, geography determines, to a great extent, where historical events occur." This was true for the Spartans in the Battle of Thermopylae, the 6-day war and its miracle defense, during World War II (dam-busting to destroy enemies holds on rivers), and also very true for biblical history. Geography affects our very lives today. Vitally important in our every day.