Free For all - Open Discussions and DebatesIs the Bible free from errors?
You are skirting the issue, again. It appears that you haven't even visited the web page I provided. Did you? I'll paste it into this page. -- Are you trying to understand God and the Bible in light of the "Creation story"? Are you thinking that you have to "turn off" the intellectual part of your brain in order to be a Christian? Well, the following scientists didn't think so. Many, if not most, of the major branches of science were founded by Bible believing Christians. It's intriguing that the five greatest physicists in history, Newton, Faraday, Thompson, Maxwell and Einstein were each outspoken in their conviction and faith that the universe was placed here by a Creator. Plus, four of the five were staunch Christians with firm convictions that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. I hope and pray that it encourages your faith in God to see that so many, awesome scientists are/were believers in the Bible and believers in Creation. Evolution is not the only option for "scientific intellectuals". In fact, many of the scientists below would put to shame the "wisest" evolutionists. After you visit some of the links below and read about the famous, God-fearing scientists, please scroll down further. I've included a stunning segment called, "Christian Influences In The Sciences"! Your mouth will drop when you see what Christian intellectuals have discovered. Happy surfing and God bless you! Robert Boyle - scientist and chemist Michael Faraday - physicist, formulated laws electromagnetic induction, did groundwork for making dynamos, electric motors and transformers James Joule - science of thermodynamics William Thompson a.k.a. Lord Kelvin - thermodynamics and the Kelvin, temperature scale Johannes Kepler - laws of planetary motion (more on Kepler) Carl Linnaeus - botanist, professor Matthew Maury - leading scientist in oceanography and hydrography James Clerk Maxwell - electromagnetic theory Samuel F.B. Morse - invented the telegraph, Morse code is named after him Isaac Newton - laws of gravity, motion and calculus Blaise Pascal - invented early calculator, helped discover the theory of probability Louis Pasteur - invented vaccination, immunization and pasteurization Sir Henry Rawlinson - archaeologist George Stokes - physicist and mathematician Disciplines and Inventions By Creation Scientists * For further study, the following scientists are also Christians who believe in God and the Creation account in Genesis: Joseph Lister, John Ambrose Fleming, Henri Fabre, John Ray, Nicolaus Steno, William Petty, Georges Cuvier, Louis Agassiz, Gregory Mendel, Bernhard Riemann, Joseph Henry Gilbert, Charles Lindbergh, Thomas Anderson, William Mitchell Ramsay, John Ambrose Fleming, Werner Von Braun, John Coach Adams, Johann Baptist Cysat, John Woodward, Humphrey Davy, George Biddle Airy, James Bradley, and Albert Einstein (Einstein was Jewish, but still believed in Creation). * There were many famous, Catholic scientists, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, John Dalton, René Descartes, Jean Baptiste Biot, and Richard Kirwan that believed in Creation. However, they are not included here. * This web page is dedicated to an "intellectual" atheist and evolutionist named Endymion. May God save his soul. Christian Influences In The Sciences ANESTHESIOLOGY. *Crawford Long,* one of the three Americans who discovered anesthesia became a Christian. *James Young Simpson,* who championed its use in Britain was also a professing Christian, an ardent New Presbyterian. Asked by a reporter what was his greatest discovery, he replied, "When I learned Jesus Christ had died for my sins." ANTISEPTIC SURGERY. First championed by the Quaker doctor *Joseph Lister* against tremendous opposition, antiseptic surgery was based directly on the theories of *Louis Pasteur.* Antiseptic surgery sought to kill germs, primarily by the use of carbolic acid. Even in his own lifetime, Lister's innovative idea was giving way to aseptic surgery, surgery which tries to keep germs away from the wound in the first place. Joseph Lister was reared a devout Quaker and migrated to the Church of England. He reminded his pupils that they had to be prepared to give an account to God for their treatment of "the earthly tabernacle" of the soul (ie: the human body). And what of Pasteur? Although not a churchgoer, he was a Franciscan Tertiary and detested atheists and atheism. He proved the impossibility of the spontaneous generation of life. ASSOCIATIONS FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. *David Brewster*, who gave optics several of its laws, was a devout Christian, and a leader in the formation of the British Association for the Advancement of the Sciences. It was Brewster who wrote "It cannot be presumption to be SURE [of our forgiveness] because it is Christ's work, not ours; on the contrary, it is presumption to doubt his word and work." *James Dwight Dana* was converted in a revival and lived an impeccable life thereafter. He was a leader in the American Association for the Advancement of Science as was *Josiah Willard Gibbs,* a man of quiet Christianity who showed it in conscientious work and steady churchgoing. ASTRONOMY, MODERN. Because of the Galileo affair, it is popularily supposed that astronomy made its advances over the protests of a closed-minded, dug-in church. A closer look at the facts shows a mixed picture. This is only to be expected. Within any organization there are always some people who oppose new ideas as well as some who welcome them. Although many churchmen did oppose Galileo's ideas, many others supported them. In fact, many of those who supported and created the new learning were men of faith. Truth to tell, the picture we now have of the universe is largely the product of Christendom. It is a fact that the names of astronomers who professed Christ read like a Who's Who of the field. Here is an alphabetical listing of some of the Christian makers of modern astronomy who have come to my attention. *John Couch Adams* (1819-1892) shares the honor of being the first to calculate where Neptune could be found. A Wesleyan, he won college prizes for Bible studies. *George Biddle Airy* (1801-1892), a Christ-professing churchgoer, became one of the first Astronomers Royal of Britain. *Jean Baptiste Biot* (1774-1862) established beyond dispute the stony nature of meteorites. Late in life he returned to his childhood Roman Catholic faith. *James Bradley* (1693-1762) trained as a Protestant chaplain but won recognition not in the field of religion but for discovering the aberration of starlight and nutation of the earth. Whatever his actual relationship to Christ--he was an odd man-- *Nicolas Copernicus* (1473-1543), author of modern heliocentric theory, was a canon in the Catholic church. It was another Catholic, a Jesuit, *Johann Baptist Cysat* (1586-1657) who became the first man to earn the distinction of discovering a comet through a telescope. *Eugenio Danti* (1536-1586), a priest, made minor contributions to astronomy by inventing astronomical apparatus and assisting with reform of the Gregorian calendar. The Quaker *Sir Arthur Eddington* (1882-1944), was an early champion of relativity theory and stayed on the cutting edge of stellar theory throughout his entire life. Irrascible *John Flamsteed* (1646-1719) trained for the church, but made fame as first Astronomer Royal, establishing Greenwich observatory and providing Newton with essential data for his calculations. Poorly paid, he nonetheless poured his own money into new tools for the observatory. It was he who brought Greenwich to world-wide fame. *Augustin Jean Fresnel* (1788-1827) contributed to astronomy through his studies of polarized light. He was a gentle Protestant. Not so *Galileo Galilei* (1564-1642). His abrasive personality antagonized everyone. For all his difficulties with the church, he claimed to be a son of the faith and wrote a book showing that science and faith were not incompatible. Francesco *Maria Grimaldi* (1618-1663), priest and scientist, in addition to systematically testing Galileo's theories, described the flattening of Saturn and discovered the diffraction of light. *John Herschel* (1792-1871) surveyed the Southern skies as his father *William Herschel*(1738-1822) had surveyed the Northern before him. Both were at least nominally Christian although John's faith eventually ran deeper. *William Huggins* (1824-1912) was a Christian of no specific denomination who did spectroscopic studies of stars and differentiated between gaseous nebulae and galaxies. The faith of *Johannes Kepler* (1571-1630), first to discover the laws of planetary motion, has often been remarked. Unfortunately, he felt compelled to make a living casting horoscopes. Not nearly so well known is the faith of *Johann Von Lamont* (1805-1879) who cataloged 12,000 previously unrecorded stars of the 7th through 10th magnitudes. *Urbain LeVerrier* (1811-1871) who co-discovered Neptune was likewise a practicing Catholic. *Nevil Maskelyne* (1732-1811) published an influential nautical almanac and measured the density of the earth to within 20%. He was a Protestant curate. Work on double stars was pioneered by a Jesuit, *Christian Mayer* (1719-1783). *Sir Isaac Newton* (1642-1727) wrote a million words of theology. Arian in outlook, his science was nonetheless motivated by his Christian thought. One of the giants on whose shoulders Newton stood was the theologian *John Philoponus* (fl. 6th cent AD). Philoponus suggested (on creationist grounds) that the stars are made of the same essential matter as the earth and emit light because they burn. The different colors of stars are owing to differences of composition, he said, drawing his analogy from the differences in colors we see when we burn various substances on earth. He attributed to impetus the movement of celestial bodies (Aristotle said angels moved the planets) and argued for void (vacuum) between the stars. He was the first to suggest dropping balls of unequal weight from a tower. Galileo read and praised Philoponus. It was a priest, *Giuseppe Piazzi* (1746-1826) who discovered the asteroid Ceres. *Alexandre Gui Pingré* (1711-1796) made arduous voyages to observe the passages of Mercury and Venus on the sun. He became canon of Paris. Cardinal *Johannes Regiomontanus* (1436-1476) revived the study of astronomy and mathematics in the Renaissance, preparing the way for the revolution in astronomical knowledge which began in the sixteenth century. Other cardinals, priests, canons and monks of the Catholic church shine among astronomy's greats. The binocular telescope was invented by a Capuchin monk, *Schyrle de Rhetia* (1597-1660). The priest *Giambattista Riccioli* (1598-1671) made significant contributions to astronomy, geography and physics despite his opposition to Galileo. Yet another Jesuit, *Angelo Secchi* (1818-1878) was a trailblazer in spectroscopic studies and helped define the nature of Saturn's ring. *Johan W. J. A. Stein* (1871-1951), a Jesuit, published papers on binary stars. The Canon of Condé, *Gottfried Wendelen* (1580-1667) produced approximations for the parallax of the sun which are close to modern figures. Apologist Antonio Romaña attributes Christian belief also to the following influential astronomers: *Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel* (1784-1846); *Fedor Aleksandrovich Bredikhin* (1831-1904); *Harve Faye* (1814-1902); *Armand- Hippolyte-Louis Fizeau* (1819-1896); *Jean Bernard Léon Foucault* (1819-1868); *Joseph Fraunhofer* (1787-1826); *James Gregory* (1638-1675); *Alesky Pavlovich Hansky* (1870-1908); *Pierre Jules César Janssen* (1824-1907); *Johann Heinrich Madler* (1794-1874); *Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers* (1758-1840) and *Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli* (1835-1910). We see at work in astronomy a characterstic Christian impulse: to learn God's ways by studying creation. That so many famous astronomers were Christians does not validate Christianity. Other astronomers were indifferent or hostile to the faith. What it does show is that Christianity is not incompatible with science and even motivates it. Remove Christians from the history of astronomy and it would be a far different story than we read. To divorce Christianity from astronomy, one must divorce it from the men who made the science. ASTROPHYSICS. The name which dominates the first scientific study of the interior working of stars was the Quaker *Sir Arthur Eddington*. He PREDICTED the enormous interior temperatures of stars which have since been confirmed. ATOMIC THEORY. The Quaker *John Dalton* was the first to put atomic theory on a scientific basis. He CLAIMED that the atomic weights of elements were proportionate to one another. This has since been completely established, a breakthrough absolutely fundamental to modern atomism. However, we should also note that Dalton interest in atomic theory derived at second and third hand from the renewed interest of the French Roman Catholic priest *Pierre Gassendi*. Gassendi had recently attempted to revive the atomic theories of the ancient Greeks, although he was unable to set these on a scientific footing. Gassendi's work came to England and through intermediaries reached John Dalton. BACTERIOLOGY. Bacteria were first observed by the Reformed Dutchman *Anton von Leeuwenhoek* and were received with considerable skepticism. BIG BANG THEORY. *Georges Lemaitre*, a Belgian priest, PREDICTED from his reworking of Einstein's theories, that space would be found to be expanding. Einstein himself at first resisted the implications but later applauded them. The expansion of space was soon confirmed. An IMPLICATION of Lemaitre's theories was background radiation. He was notified of the discovery of this radiation as he lay dying. A note found in Lemaitre's manuscripts said "It all had to have begun with light." His was the first scientific-mathematical creation theory, soon supplanted by better models. It is interesting to note that *Bishop Robert Grosseteste*, studying light, advocated (on philosophical-theological grounds) a primitive Big Bang expansionist theory in the thirteenth century. BINARY MATHEMATICS. Binary arithmetic, so important to modern computer science, was the brainchild of *Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz.* Leibniz, also invented a binary calculator which was a forerunner of modern computational machines. He was a devout Lutheran who refused opportunistic advancement which would have required him to convert to Roman Catholicism. BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE. Binomial nomenclature in the biological sciences was not invented by *Carl Linnaeus*, but he was its major champion and the first man to systematically apply it to a vast range of life. Linnaeus was strongly creationist and wrote many exclamations of praise to the Creator. CALCULUS. Calculus was co-invented by two philosophers who claimed to be Christians. *Sir Isaac Newton* wrote a million words of theology. Although he clearly believed the Bible and its prophecies, he was essentially a Unitarian. *Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz* was an ardent Lutheran who refused preferment which would have required him to covert to Roman Catholicism. CELESTIAL MECHANICS. *Johannes Kepler* made no bones about his faith. He was the first person to calculate that planets travel in ellipses around the sun. CHEMISTRY. *Robert Boyle* is called by some the Father of Chemistry. His science sprang directly from his faith. All of his writings show the imprint of Christianity. As a young man, newly converted to Christ, he struggled with faith because the science of the day contained so much which was contrary to his belief. He therefore determined that every fact must be clearly established and tested, in which case he felt certain that it would prove compatible with scripture since both had the same author. *John Dalton,* a Quaker, gave us the atomic theory behind chemistry. *Josiah Willard Gibbs* was a creator of statistical mechanics (a specialized branch of chemistry) and in France, the ardent Roman Catholic *Pierre Duhem* also constributed to the emerging science of statistical mechanics. *Sir Humphrey Davy* claimed faith and is noted for his chemical researches as was his protege *Michael Faraday* who first liquified chlorine. The isolater of inert gases, *Sir William Ramsay,* also was a man of Christian faith. CHEMURGY. Chemurgy is the branch of chemistry which focuses on the industrial use of organic materials. *George Washington Carver,* with his work on peanuts and sweet potatoes was a great pioneer in this field. His faith has been well-documented. CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY. *Johnannes Weyer* did studies on hysteria and witchcraft which mark him as the Father of Clinical Psychiatry. At a time when his fellows were for burning so-called witches, this compassionate Christian doctor was for understanding and treating the dementia which led to the odd behavior of the poor wretches accused of demonism. COLOR THEORY. A priest, and science facilitator, *Nicholas de Malebranche,* founded modern color theory. COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. The invention of *Georges Cuvier*, comparative anatomy considers the anatomical structures of animals in relation to one another. Cuvier claimed to be a Christian. COMPOUND MICROSCOPE. *Joseph Lister, Sr.* and *Thomas Hodgkins* were both sincere Quakers who united their efforts in developing a microscope which used laminated lenses to correct for the aberrations which are always caused by a single substance. This compound lens significantly increased the power of the microscope. COMPUTER SCIENCE. Several Christians had important roles in the development of the computer. *Blaise Pascal* built the first workable computing machine. It was too cumbersome to be cost effective. Pascal's Pensees and other Christian writings are well known. *Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz* advanced the state of computation with a calculator much superior to Pascal's and also invented binary mathematics and attempted an early form of symbolic logic. His Lutheran faith was integral to his life. Charles Babbage, the true theorist of thinking machines, held Christian beliefs but also accepted such nonsense as reincarnation which is clearly unbiblical. CRYOLOGY. *Lord Kelvin,* a professor who opened each class with prayer and an apologist for creationist ideas, did fundamental work which led to ice-making machines. CURVATURE OF SPACE. *Nicholas Cusa,* Catholic cardinal, PREDICTED that space must be curved if God were to be equally present at every point. Twentieth Century findings confirmed his fifteenth century prediction. One of the mathematicians who "invented" curved space was *Bernhard Riemann* a devout Christian. He died young of tuberculosis, haivng his wife read his favorite psalms to him. DIFFRACTION OF LIGHT. Jesuit *Francesco Maria Grimaldi* discovered the diffraction of light. ELASTICITY THEORY. *Saint Venant* was a key contributor to elasticity theory, which was first investigated scientifically by *Sir Christopher Wren* and other men of his circle. ELECTRONICS. *John Ambrose Fleming,* who leaned to the evangelical wing of the Church of England, was not only a Christian, but a first-rate pioneer in electronics, inventor of various items, including a "bridge" and electron tubes which were essential to the development of the field. ELECTRO-MAGNETISM. *Ewald von Kleist* a Pomeranian bishop, discovered the Leyden jar which first made electricity available in amounts which could be studied. *Joseph Henry* discovered inductance. He actually beat Faraday to many discoveries, sometimes by mere months, but did not publish, wanting to refine his researches, thereby losing the immortality which might have been his. He is said to have been a Christian. *Michael Faraday,* a man of humility and Christian faith, discovered the generator and transformer and proposed field theory. He made electricity useful. Because Faraday knew little math, it was left to *James Clerk Maxwell* to state Faraday's findings mathematically. Maxwell united electricity and magnetism with light in his famous theories in which he PREDICTED the discovery of radio waves. At his death science magazines mentioned his deep Christian faith which was well- known to the entire scientific community. *Ampere's* biographers note that he undertook some of his electrical researches to answer questions which he thought had a bearing on the truth of the Christian faith. He gave us the amp. Alessandro Volta for whom the volt and voltage are named, did not live a Christian life, but wrote an apologetic for Christianity, perhaps along the lines of "Do as I say, not as I do." ENCYCLOPEDIA, SCIENTIFIC. The first scientific encyclopedia featuring the characteristics we accept--contributed articles, pictures, alphabetical entries--was prepared by a minister, *John Harris." Earlier encyclopedias with scientific and medical content had been compiled by Christians, including *Cassiodorus,* *Hildegarde,* *Isidore of Seville,* *Rhabanus Maurus,* the Dominican *Vincent of Beauvois,* *Bartholomew de Glanville,* *Johann Heinrich Alsted,* whom Cotton Mather called "the doorway to the sciences," but who is more famous as the mentor of Jan Amos Comenius. A French priest, *Louis Moreri,* also compiled an encyclopedia. ENTOMOLOGY. *Jean Henri Fabre* is a name almost synonomous with the study of insects. Always opposed to atheism, he converted to Christ late in life. EXPANDING UNIVERSE. The Belgian priest *Georges Lemaitre* first gave us a viable mathematics for an expanding universe. His PREDICTION that the universe could not be stable was soon proven by Hubble and others. *Sir Arthur Eddington* championed Lemaitre's theories in a book called The Expanding Universe. Eddington was a Quaker who said that the believer found arguments for the non-existence of God to be quaint. FIELD THEORY. *Michael Faraday* first envisioned field theory. Having little mathematics, he was forced to rely on imagination to describe what he saw. He belonged to a small Baptist group. Faith, humility and love governed his life. FLUID MECHANICS. *George Gabriel Stokes* was a pioneer in this field. He was a member of an apologetics society. A profound mathematician, he was commonly sought out for advice. He rejected Darwin's theory of evolution, saying it was based on inadequate evidence. FLUORESCENCE. *George Gabriel Stokes* was a pioneer in the study and explanation of fluorescent effects. He had learned to read by reading the Psalms. As a Christian he said that evidence for Christ's resurrection must lead to action commensurate with the fact. Head and heart must go together. GAS DYNAMICS. *Van Helmont* gave us the word gas (Dutch chaos=gaas). Believing, on Biblical grounds, that God had breathed life into man, he thought the spirit was to be found in a study of invisible gases and this led him to some profound observations. He might have been disappointed to learn that gases are just matter, after all. *Robert Boyle* also studied gas and gave us Boyle's Law of Gases in refutation of an atheistic opponent. *James Clerk Maxwell* studied heated gases and discovered principles of gaseous behavior. His statistical approach quickly led to quantum theory. GENETICS. *Gregor Mendel,* a Roman Catholic priest and abbott, first discovered the laws of genetics with his now famous studies of the garden pea. His work lay in obscurity for many years before being rediscovered. Mendel did not accept Darwin's theory, because his own discoveries in genetics showed that creatures tend to revert to kind. GEOLOGY. *Nels Steno,* who became a Roman Catholic bishop (and preached to people in their own language rather than Latin so they could understand the gospel) drew up the first, simple laws of geological study. He is usually named the Father of Geology. Many other Christians made major contributions to the science of geology. The minister *Adam Sedgewick* discovered and named the Cambrian. Another minister, *William Buckland* refuted Wernerism which said all deposits were laid down by water, showing definitively that volcanism played a major role. He worked closely with the *Reverend Daniel Conybeare* in a study of Irish volcanism. Lyell became interested in geology as a result of Buckland's teaching. *Louis Agassiz* was a prominent voice in promulgating ice-age theory, which he convincingly proved. He was strongly creationist, even to the point of introducing absurd ideas. Still another minister, *John Playfair,* converted Lyell's theories into readable form. *William Smith* professed Christ and drew the world's first substantive geological maps. Smith's work was championed by two clergymen, the Reverends Benjamin Richardson and Joseph Townsend. Smith was in great demand because of his immense knowledge and ability to predict underlying strata. *James Dwight Dana* wrote the first systematic geology of North America. *Hugh Miller* was an ardent apologist and geologist. GERM THEORY OF DISEASE. *Louis Pasteur,* a Franciscan Tertiary, developed the germ theory of disease and CLAIMED that microbes transmit many diseases. This claim has been thoroughly proven. The doctor who first applied Pasteur's theories to the operating room was the Quaker *Joseph Lister.* GRAPHING. *Nicole Oresme* is the first person known to have prepared a scientific graphing. Galileo borrowed one of Oresme's graphs in his own work. Oresme was a popular preacher and a vehement opponent of superstitious practices such as astrology. Some claim Oresme's work as the predecessor of Cartesian geometry. GYNECOLOGY. *James Young Simpson* is but one of several Christian doctors who made significant advances in gynecology. HELIOCENTRISM. *Nicholas Copernicus* was a canon in the church of Rome. Whether he was a born-again Christian is doubtful, but his mind-set was clearly cast in the Christian philosophic mold, making his discovery possible. HYDRAULICS. *Blaise Pascal,* author of the famed Pensees, "Thoughts," which have inspired Christians for centuries, was the first to show how water pressure could be applied evenly, the principle of the hydraulic jack. ICTHYOLOGY. *Louis Agassiz* by his comparison of fossil fish and studies of living fish was one of the great founders of icthyology. He was strongly creationist in his views. MASS-LUMINANCE LAW. Quaker scientist *Sir Arthur Eddington* did work on stellar masses which led directly to the mass-luminance law. He PREDICTED the existence of variable stars, of a certain threshold mass. These stars, called Cepheids, were soon discovered. Because their mass is known from the work of Eddington and others, they serve as markers for the measurement of distances in space. MINERALOGY. *Gerogias Agricola* is considered the Father of Mineralogy. Deeply devout and humane, this keen observer attempted to make a science of a mass of seemingly unrelated data he gathered. In more recent times, James Dwight Dana* created a massive, scientific systematization of mineralolgy which long remained the standard, difinitive text on the subject. He was closely allied with *Dr. Benjamin Silliman,* one of America's premier science teachers and helped give Dana his start. Silliman was strongly Protestant. *David Brewster,* whose Christianity almost led him to become a minister, used optics to study minerals, especially polarization. *Augustin-Jean Fresnel was involved in studies of crystal polarization also, and he, too, chose Christ. NON-EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY. When *Bernhard Riemann* died, a biographer noted that he had served Christ outside the pulpit as his father had served Christ in the pulpit. Riemann's father had intended his son for the ministry, but Riemann chose mathematics instead. He created a major branch of non-euclidean geometry and did other mathematics of much value. OCEANOGRAPHY. *Matthew Maury* created the science of oceanography because he believed the Bible when it said there were paths in the seas. Obtaining millions of observations world-wide he and his assistants compiled charts of currents and winds. The practical result was huge savings for world shipping. His Christian belief ran deep and touched all he did. OPTICS. *George Berkeley,* idealist philosopher and Christian bishop, showed how images form upside down in the eye. The French protestant *Augustin-Jean Fresnel* invented the Fresnel lens used in lighthouses. *David Brewster,* who gave his name to several laws of light, was devoutly Christian. *Sir Isaac Newton* theorized on the nature of light. Some of his findings were useful, but others erroneous. */Deitrich of Frieberg,* *Witelo,* and others made contributions. See also COMPOUND MICROSCOPE. PALEONTOLOGY. *Geroges Cuvier* created the science of paleontology, using bones dug from beneath Paris. He was brilliantly able to deduce function from bones. PHOTOGRAPHY. *Sir John Herschel,* a man won to sincere Christianity by the character of his wife, coined the terms POSITIVE and NEGATIVE. He discovered hypo as a fixative agent. PHYSICS. It is almost impossible to list the Christians active in the history of physics. A short list would include *Philoponus,* *Bradwardine,* possibly *Buridan,* *Galileo,* and *Newton,* the Mertonians, *Grosseteste,* *Faraday,* *Maxwell,* *Thompson (Kelvin),* *Tait,* and more. POLARIZATION OF LIGHT. We have already mentioned *David Brewster* and *Augustin-Jean Fresnel* in connection with polarization. See OPTICS. RELATIVITY THEORY. Einstein built his theory of relativity on the work of three men, two of whom were Christians. The first of these Christians was *Bernhard Riemann* who had developed the mathematics of Riemannian Space, which Einstein found could explain the curvature of space. The other was *James Clerk Maxwell* whose equations and work with pre-quantum physics led directly to modern physics. Einstein's work was to some measure forced by the famous Michelson-Morely measurements of the speed of light which showed that the speed of light is an absolute. Einstein sought and found the explanation. *Edward William Morley* was the Christian half of that experimental duo. ROYAL SOCIETY. The premiere scientific organization of England was founded by Christians and had an initial membership almost entirely Christian. Among the charter members were the Protestants *Robert Boyle,* *Sir Christopher Wren,* the preacher *John Wilkins,* and the Christian *John Wallis.* SCIENTIFIC METHOD. *Bishop Robert Grosseteste,* a reform-minded cleric of the 13th century, is the first man known to have explicitly spelled out the scientific method. His methodology was made world-famous by his pupil, the friar *Roger Bacon.* Both PREDICTED that application of their methods would result in the systematic acquisition of knowledge--a result which followed. Bacon especially ennumerated the results, which included submarines and flying machines. SCIENTIFIC PAPER. *Robert Boyle* wrote the first scientific paper in modern format, showing what instruments he used, the conditions of experiment, his hypotheses and conclusions. The model he developed has been followed ever since. Among his many Christian activities was funding of Bible translations and provision of support to persecuted Welsh clergy who refused to adopt Church of England liturgy. SPECTROSCOPY, STELLAR. Two of the most famous pioneers in stellar spectroscopy were Christians: *Pietro Angelo Secchi* and *William Huggins.* SPONTANEOUS GENERATION. *Louis Pasteur* proved that spontaneous generation was impossible. Not so well known is that many of his methods of proof were improvements on work taken directly from the Roman Catholic priest *Lazzaro Spallanzani.* STATISTICAL MECHANICS. The American Congregationalist *Josiah Willard Gibbs* and the French Catholic *Pierre Duhem* were two Christians whose work led to an understanding of the thermodynamics of and equilibrium in chemical systems. STELLAR MAPPING. Many Christians were engaged in stellar mapping. Some made contributions of the highest calibre. Among them were *William and John Herschel,* *John Flamsteed* (founder of Greenwich Observatory), and the curate *Nevil Maskelyne* who became director of Greenwich. SYMBOLIC LOGIC. Even the great Lutheran *Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz,* co-inventor of calculus, was unable to invent a workable symbolic logic although he took key steps in that direction. Success awaited the efforts of Irish- born *George Boole,* a man who held and practiced the Christian faith. THERMODYNAMICS. *James Joule,* and *Lord Kelvin* are two famous names associated with the development of thermodynamics. Both were Christians, Kelvin more openly so. TOPOLOGY. *Leonhard Euler,* famed as a mathematician and the butt of Voltaire's ridicule for his apologetics, created the science of topology with his study of the seven bridges puzzle. TRANSFINITE MATHEMATICS. The Roman Catholic Czech theologian *Bernhard Bolzano* was one of the first to attempt a significant infinity theory. However, other Christian mathematicians such as *Weierstrass* and *Cauchy* also made contributions. It was, however, the brilliant mathematician and Protestant convert *Georg Cantor* who finally set the subject on a scientific basis. His work was embraced by the Jesuits. VACCINATION. The most famous champion of vaccination was a Christian doctor, *Edward Jenner,* who did his work against fierce opposition and in the teeth of threats against himself. In effect he wiped out smallpox from among the diseases that terrify mankind. He died from a cold caught carrying firewood to an impoverished woman. VACUUM. In the face of furious contradiction, *John Philoponus,* a Christian philosopher of the 6th century, CLAIMED that vacuum existed between the stars. This notion was derived from his creationist beliefs, and was directly contrary to Aristotalian teaching. This has since been confirmed. *Blaise Pascal* of Jansenist leanings, finally proved the possibility of vacuum in the 1600s. *Robert Boyle* developed a vacuum pump in conjunction with Robert Hooke and systematically showed the effects of vacuum and the role of air. Boyle's Law of Gases, found in chemistry texts, was one result. WAVE THEORY OF LIGHT. *Thomas Young,* a Quaker, was the first to perform a double slit experiment and to show that light acted as a wave. The French Protestant *Augustin-Jean Fresnel* confirmed and mathematized Young's findings. Christian Influences In The Sciences is from "The Revolution Against Evolution" - http://www.rae.org. -- Saying that "science would come about naturally" is disingenuous. This is like saying the polio vaccine would have come about naturally. These Bible-believing creationists gave us science as we know it. Without them, there is no guarantee that we would have any of the advances and luxuries that we enjoy, today.
These quotes make it seem like you didn't read my other web page. See http://michaelnewdow.com . Better yet, I'll just paste it in here. -- John Greenleaf Whittier John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), was one of the best-known American poets. He was known as the "Quaker Poet," as his faith was exhibited in his life and poetry. He wrote Panorama, in 1856, which included the favorites "Barefoot Boy," and Maud Muller." His other renowned works include: song of the Vermonteers, 1779, Lays of My Home and other poems, 1843, Voices of Freedom, 1846, Snowbound, 1866, Justice and Expediency, Dear Lord and Father of Mankind. He was the editor of the American Manufacturer, the Essex Gazette, The Pennsylvania Freeman, and the National Era. He bitterly opposed slavery, to the extent that once he was mobbed and severely beaten during a speaking tour. Later, his office in Philadelphia was burned. John Greenleaf Whittier, one of the first to suggest the creation of a Republican Party, wrote: "I believe in the Scriptures because they repeat the warnings and promises of the indwelling Light and Truth; I find in them the eternal precepts of the Divine Spirit declared and repeated. They testify of Christ within.... My ground of hope for myself and for humanity is in that Divine fullness which was manifested in the life, teachings, and self-sacrifice of Christ. In the infinite mercy of God so revealed, and not in any work or merit of my own nature, I humbly, yet very hopefully, trust." - Samuel T. Pickard, Life and Letters of John Greenleaf Whittier, pp. 264,265. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 501-502. Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Glory of America (Bloomington, MN: Garborg's Heart 'N Home, Inc., 1991), 4.22. In 1876, one hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and shortly after the Civil War had ended, John Greenleaf Whittier wrote his famous Centennial Hymn: "We meet today, united free, And loyal to our land and Thee, To thank Thee for the era done, And trust Thee for the opening one. O Maker Thou us, through centuries long, In peace secure, in justice strong; Around our gift of freedom draw The safeguards of Thy righteous law: And, cast in some diviner mould, Let the new cycle shame the old! - 1876, in his poem Centennial Hymn. Patriotic Anthology, p. 395. Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Glory of America (Bloomington, MN: Garborg's Heart 'N Home, Inc., 1991), 12.14.15. In poetic verse, John Greenleaf Whittier expressed: The Word of God Voice of the Holy Spirit, making known Man to himself, a witness swift and sure, Warning, approving, true and wise and pure, Counsel and guidance that misleadeth none! By Thee the mystery of Life is read; The picture writing of the world's gray seers, The myths and parables of the primal years, Whose letter kills, by thee interpreted Take healthful meanings fitted to our needs, And in the soul's vernacular express The common law of simple righteousness. Hatred of cant and doubt of human creeds May well be felt the unpardonable sin Is to deny the Word of God within! - Samuel T. Pickard, Life and Letters of John Greenleaf Whittier, pp. 264,265. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 501-502. Our Master We may not climb the heavenly steeps To bring the Lord Christ down; In vain we search the lowest deeps, For Him no depths can drown. O Lord and Master of us all! Whate'er our name or sign, We own Thy sway, we hear Thy call, We test our lives by Thine. Deep strike Thy roots, O heavenly Vine, Within our earthly sod, Most human and yet most Divine, The flower of Man and God! - ibid. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Theodore Frelinghuysen Theodore Frelinghuysen (1787-1862), a U.S. Senator, was the chancellor of the University of New York, 1839-1850, and president of Rutgers College, 1850-1861. Theodore Frelinghuysen corresponded with Presidential candidate Henry Clay after Clay had narrowly failed to be elected: "Let us look away to the brighter and better prospects and surer hopes in the promise and consolations of the Gospel of our Saviour. I pray, my honored sir, that your heart may seek this blessed refuge, stables as the everlasting hills, and let this be the occasion to prompt an earnest, prayerful, and, the Lord grant it may be, a joyful search after the truth as it is in Christ Jesus." - In a letter he wrote to Presidential Candidate Henry Clay after receiving news of his defeat. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 158. While serving in the office of the President of the American Bible Society, 1846-1861, Theodore Frelinghuysen wrote in a letter: "The Bible has done it sir! Seal up this one Volume and in a half century all these hopes would wither and these prospects perish forever. These sacred temples would crumble or become the receptacles of pollution and crime.... "The influence of this sacred Volume alone can achieve it. Let it find its way into every cottage until the whole mass of out population shall yield to its elevating power; and under the benignant smiles of Him who delights to bless the Word, our government, the last hope of liberty, will rest on foundations against which the winds and waves shall beat in vain." - In a letter he write while President of the American Bible Society, 1846-1861. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 158. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henry Opukahaia Henry Opukahaia (d.1818), was the first Hawaiian convert to Christianity. Orphaned at age 10, he was raised by his uncle to be a pagan priest (kahuna) of the Hawaiian religion. He grew disillusioned with the rituals and chants, and left on an American ship bound for New England with his Hawaiian friend, Thomas Hopu. There he was befriended by students and professors of Yale College and soon became a Christian. He studied Greek and Hebrew and translated sections of the Bible into the Hawaiian language. In his memoirs, which sold 500,000 copies after his death, Henry Opukahaia wrote: "My poor countrymen, without knowledge of the true God, and ignorant of the future world, have no Bible to read, no Sabbath..." - In his memoirs. "Hawaii's Heroes of Faith" University of the Nations (Hawaii: Youth With a Mission Newsletter). His friend, Thomas Hopu, and a small group of New Englanders launched the first missionary venture to the islands in 1820. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Henri Jean Fabre Henri Jean Fabre (1823-1915), considered the "Father of Modern Entomology," was a famous biologist who pioneered unprecedented studies of insects in their habitats. He also authored numerous popular textbooks, including Souvenirs entomologigues, 1879-1907. Henri Jean Fabre, who was a personal friend of Louis Pasteur, asserted concerning God: "Without Him I understand nothing; without Him all is darkness... Every period has its manias. I regard Atheism as a mania. It is the malady of the age. You could take my skin from me more easily than my faith in God." - Henry M. Morris, Men of Science - Man of God (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, Creation Life Publishers, Inc., 1990), pp. 62-63. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- James Warren James Warren (1726-1808), was the president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, a Major General in the Provincial Militia, a member of the Navy board for the Eastern Department, a member of the Governor's Council, 1792-94, and a presidential elector from Massachusetts, 1804. He was married to Mercy Warren, 1724-1814, a remarkable author of the Revolutionary period, whose correspondence with numerous founding fathers has granted invaluable insight into our nation's history. In 1805, she wrote the History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution, in 3 volumes. It was James Warren who first proposed the famous committees of correspondence to Samuel Adams, which were of inestimable influence in inspiring the spirit of freedom among the Colonies. On June 16, 1775, president James Warren and the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts resolved: "In Provincial Congress, Watertown, June 16th, 1775. "As it has pleased Almighty GOD in his Providence to suffer the Calamities of an unnatural War to take Place among us, in Consequence of our sinful Declensions from Him, and our great Abuse of those inestimable Blessings bestowed upon us. And as we have Reason to fear, that unless we become a penitent and reformed people, we shall feel still severer Tokens of his Displeasure. "And as the most effectual Way to escape those desolating Judgments, which so evidently hang over us, and if it may be obtain the Restoration of our former Tranquility, will be - That we repent and return every one from his Iniquities, unto him that correcteth us, which if we do in Sincerity and Truth, we have no Reason to doubt but he will remove his Judgments - cause our Enemies to be at Peace with us - and prosper the Work of our Hands. "And as among the prevailing Sins of this Day, which threaten the Destruction of this Land, we have Reason to lament the frequent Prophanation of the Lord's-Day, or Christian Sabbath; may spending their Time in Idleness and Sloth, others in Diversion, and others in Journeying of Business, which is not necessary on said Day: "And as we earnestly desire that a Stop might be put to this great and prevailing Evil: "It is therefore RESOLVED, That it be recommended by this Congress, to the People of all Ranks and Denominations throughout this Colony, that they not only pay a religious Regard to that Day, and to the public Worship of God thereon; but that they also use their Influence to discountenance and suppress any Prophanations thereof in others. "And it is further RESOLVED, That it be recommended to the Ministers of the Gospel to read this Resolve to their several congregations, accompanied with such Exhortations as they shall think proper. "And whereas there is great Danger that the Prophanation of the Lord's-Day will prevail in the Camp: "We earnestly recommend to all the Officers, not only to set good Examples; but that they strictly require of their Soldiers to keep up a religious Regard to that Day, and attend upon the public Worship of God thereon, so far as may be consistent with other Duties. A true Copy from the Minutes, Attest. Samuel Freeman, Secretary. By Order of the Congress, James Warren, President." - June 16, 1775, in a Resolution of the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts, James Warren, president. Copied from original, printed courtesy Essex Institute, Salem, Massachusetts. Verna M. Hall, the Christian History of the American Revolution (San Francisco, CA: Foundation For American Education, 1976), p. 410. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- William Cullen Bryant William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), who was known as the "Father of American Poets," became popular for his poetry, which included such titles as: Thanatopsis, To a Waterfowl, The Death of the Flowers and To the Fringed Gentian. He was the editor-in-chief of the New York Evening Post for fifty years. William Cullen Bryant wrote: "The sacredness of the Bible awes me, and I approach it with the same sort of reverential feeling that an ancient Hebrew might be supposed to feel who was about to touch the ark of God with unhallowed hands." - Park Goodwin, Life of William Cullen Bryant. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 57. "The very men who, in the pride of their investigations into the secrets of the internal world, turn a look of scorn upon the Christian system of belief, are not aware how much of the peace and order of society, how much the happiness of households and the purest of those who are the dearest to them, are owing to the influence of that religion extending beyond their sphere.... "In my view, the life, the teachings, the labors, and the sufferings of the blessed Jesus, there can be no admiration too profound, no love of which the human heart is capable too warm, no gratitude too earnest and deep of which He is justly the object." - John Bigelow, Life of William Cullen Bryant, p. 275. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 57-58. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sir William Thompson, Lord Kelvin Sir William Thompson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907), the famous scientist who developed degrees Kelvin to record temperatures on an absolute scale, held the chair of natural Philosophy at the University of Glasgow for 54 years. He formulated the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics, introduced the Concept of Energy, and made enormous advancements in the areas of mathematics and physics. Among his great contributions were the invention of a ship's compass which was largely freed from the magnetic influence of the iron in the ship, as well as helping to design and lay the first trans-atlantic telegraph cable. In 1903, Lord Kelvin made the statement: "With regard to the origin of life, science... positively affirms creative power." - 1903. Henry M. Morris, Men of Science - Men of God (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, Creation Life Publishers, Inc., 1990), pp. 63-66. On May 23, 1889, in his address as the Chairman of the Christian Evidence Society, in London, Lord Kelvin explained: "My primary reason for accepting the invitation to preside was that I wished to show sympathy with this great Society which has been established for the purpose of defending Christianity as a Divine Revelation. "I also thought something was due from Science. I have long felt that there was a general impression in the non-scientific world believes Science has discovered ways of explaining all the facts of nature without adopting any definite belief in a Creator. I have never doubted that impression was utterly groundless. "It seems to me that when a scientific man says - as it has been said from time to time - that there is no God, he does not express his own ideas clearly. He is, perhaps, struggling with difficulties; but when he says that he does not believe in a creative power I am convinced he does not faithfully express what is in his mind. He is out of this depth.... "I may refer to that old but never uninteresting subject of the miracles of geology. Physical Science does something for us here. Peter speaks of scoffers who said that 'all things continue as they were from the beginning,' but the Apostle affirms himself that 'all these things shall be dissolved.' "It seems to me that even physical science absolutely demonstrates the scientific truth of these words. We feel that there is no possibility of things going on forever as they have done for the last six thousand years. In science, as in morals and politics, there is absolutely no periodicity." - May 23, 1889, in his address as the Chairman of the Christian Evidence Society, in London, at its nineteenth anniversary. - Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), pp. 460-461. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Constitution of the State of Pennsylvania "We, the people of Pennsylvania, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of civil and religious liberty, and humbly invoking His guidance, do ordain and establish this Constitution...." - Benjamin Weiss, God in American History: A Documentation of America's Religious Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1966), p. 155. Gary DeMar, The Untold Story (Atlanta, GA: American Vision, Inc., 1993), p. 65. "Frame of Government, Section 10. And each member (of the legislature), before he takes his seat, shall make and subscribe the following declaration, viz: 'I do believe in one God, the Creator and Governor of the universe, the rewarder of the good and punisher of the wicked, and I do acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by Divine Inspiration.'" - S.E. Morison, ed., Sources and Documents Illustrating the American Revolution 1764-1788 and the Formation of the Federal Constitution (NY: Oxford University Press, 1923), p. 166. David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 23, 143. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford (1913 - ), became the 38th President of the United States, after replacing the vice-president who resigned, and then the president who resigned. He was the only person to succeed to that office without being elected. Upon assuming office on August 9, 1974, President Gerald Ford entreated: "I ask you to confirm me as your president with your prayers... God helping me, I will not let you down." - On assuming office, August 9, 1974. Benjamin Weiss, God in American History: A Documentation of America's Religious Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1966), p. 158. Willard Cantelon, Money Master of the World (Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1976), p. 122. President Gerald Ford, on December 5, 1974, upheld that: "Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first - the most basic - expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God's help, it will continue to be." - December 5, 1974. Mrs. Dr. James Dobson (Shirley), chairman, The National Day of Prayer Information Packet (Colorado Springs, CO: National Day of Prayer Tack Force, May 6, 1993). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The First Continental Congress Continental Congress September 6, 1774, made their first official act a call for prayer, as recorded in the Journals of the Continental Congress, after just receiving the news that the British troops had attacked Boston: "Tuesday, September 6, 1774. Resolved, That the Rev. Mr. Duche' be desired to open the Congress tomorrow morning with prayers, at the Carpenter's Hall, at 9 o'clock." - September 6, 1774. The Journals of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905), Vol. I, p. 26. David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 100. The 35th Psalm, the Psalter for the Seventh day of September, was read by Rev. Mr. Duche' in the first Continental Congress. It begins: "Plead my cause, Oh, Lord, with them that strive with me, fight against them that fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield, and rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.' Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me." - September 7, 1774, Rev. Mr. Duche' reading Psalm 35. "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 2-3. Catherine Millard, The Rewriting of America's History (Camp Hill, PA: Horizon House Publishers, 1991), p. 249. The Library of Congress, from the collected reports of the various patriots, records on a famous historical placard the effect of that first prayer upon Congress: "Washington was kneeling there, and Henry, Randolph, Rutledge, Lee, and Jay, and by their side there stood, bowed in reverence, the Puritan Patriots of New England, who at that moment had reason to believe that an armed soldiery was wasting their humble households. It was believed that Boston had been bombarded and destroyed. "They prayed fervently 'for America, for Congress, for the Province of Massachusetts Bay, and especially for the town of Boston,' and who can realize the emotion with which they turned imploringly to Heaven for Divine interposition and - 'It was enough' says Mr. Adams, 'to melt a heart of stone. I saw the tears gush into the eyes of the old, grave, Pacific Quakers of Philadelphia.'" - September 7, 1774. First Prayer in Congress - Beautiful Reminiscence (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress). Gary DeMar, God and Government - A Biblical and Historical Study (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1982), Vol. I, p. 108. John S. C. Abbot, George Washington (NY: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1875, 1917), p. 187. David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 101-102. Continental Congress September 1774, passed the Articles of Association, as recorded by the Secretary of Congress, Charles Thomson, in the Journals of Congress. It stated: "Article X That the late Act of Parliament for establishing... the French Laws in that extensive country now called Quebec, is dangerous in an extreme degree to the Protestant Religion and to the civil rights and liberties of all America; and therefore as men and protestant Christians, we are indispensably obliged to take all proper measures for our security." - September 1774, article 10 of the Articles of Association. Catherine Millard, The Rewriting of America's History (Camp Hill, PA: Horizon House Publishers, 1991), pp. 77-78. Continental Congress June 12, 1775, less than two months after "the shot heart 'round the world" was fired at Concord, issued a call for all citizens to fast and pray and confess their sin that the Lord God might bless the land: "And it is recommended to Christians, of all denominations, to assemble for public worship, and to abstain from servile labour and recreations on said day." - June 12, 1775. The Journals of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905), Vol. II, p. 87. "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 3. David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 98. Continental Congress May 16, 1776, appointed a day of fasting and prayer for the colonies: "The Congress.... Desirous... to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God's superintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely... on his aid and direction... "Do earnestly recommend Friday, the 17th day of May be observed by the colonies as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewail our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God's righteous displeasure, and, though the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon and forgiveness." - May 16, 1776. The Journals of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905), Vol. IV, pp. 208-209. David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 103. "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 3. Journal of Congress, Vol. II, p. 93. Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 287-288. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Whitefield George Whitefield (1714-1770) was the famous evangelist of the Great Awakening in the American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War. His preaching up and down the Eastern seaboard of America did more than anything else to turn the thirteen isolated, individual colonies into one country. Benjamin Franklin was so impressed at his preaching that he built an auditorium in Philadelphia for him to preach in. That auditorium became the first building of the University of Pennsylvania, and has a bronze statue of George Whitefield in front. Franklin also printed Whitefield's Journal, which grew to be tremendously popular. In a sermon, George Whitefield proclaimed: "Never rest until you can say, 'the Lord our righteousness.' Who knows but the Lord may have mercy, nay, abundantly pardon you? Beg of God to give you faith; and if the Lord give you that, you will by it receive Christ, with his righteousness, and his all...." "None, none can tell, but those happy souls who have experienced it with what demonstration of the Spirit this conviction comes.... Oh, how amiable, as well as all sufficient, does the blessed Jesus now appear! With what new eyes does the soul now see the Lord its righteousness! Brethren, it is unutterable...." "Those who live godly in Christ, may not so much be said to live, as Christ to live in them.... They are led by the Spirit as a child is led by the hand of its father...." They hear, know, and obey his voice.... Being born again in God they habitually live to, and daily walk with God." - J.L. Packer, The Startling Puritan (Carol Stream, IL: Christian History), Vol. XII, No. 2, Issue 28, p. 40. George Whitefield declared: "Would you have peace with God? Away, then, to God through Jesus Christ, who has purchased peace; the Lord Jesus has shed his heart's blood for this. He died for this; he rose again for this; he ascended into the highest heaven, and is now interceding at the right hand of God." - J.L. Packer, The Startling Puritan (Carol Stream, IL: Christian History), Vol. XII, No. 2, Issue 28, p. 39. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Supreme Court of Maryland The Supreme Court of Maryland (1799), in the case of Runkel v. Winemiller, rendered its opinion: "Religion is of general and public concern, and its support depend, in great measure, the peace and good order of government, the safety and happiness of the people. By our form of government, the Christian religion is the established religion; and all sects and denominations of Christians are placed upon the same equal footing, and are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty." - 1799, Runkel v. Winemiller, 4 Harris & McHenry 276, 288 (Sup. Ct. Md. 1799). David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 64. Runkel v. Winemiller, 4 Harris & McHenry (MD) 429 1 AD 411, 417 (Justice Chase). "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), p. 4. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- George Gordon Meade George Gordon Meade (1815-1872), was the Major General of the United States Army who led the Union troops to victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, thus turning the tide of the Civil War. Colonel George Meade, the son of General Meade, reported the facts surrounding his father's last days in 1872: "Death came suddenly, |
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