Science can’t answer life’s basic questions
Today is Thursday, Sept. 22, the 266th day of 2016. There are 100 days left in the year. Autumn arrives at 10:21 a.m. Eastern time. In 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York. In 1792, the first French Republic was proclaimed. In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in rebel states should be free as of Jan. 1, 1863. In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous “long-count” fight in Chicago. In 1938, the musical comedy revue “Hellzapoppin’,” starring Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, began a three-year run on Broadway. In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb. In 1950, Omar N. Bradley was promoted to the rank of five-star general, joining an elite group that included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall and Henry H. “Hap” Arnold. In 1964, the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,” starring Zero Mostel, opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances. The secret agent series “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,” starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, premiered on NBC-TV. In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed. (Moore served 32 years in prison before being paroled on Dec. 31, 2007.) In 1991, the London newspaper The Mail published an interview with former intelligence agent John Cairncross, who admitted being the “fifth man” in the Soviet Union’s notorious British spy ring. In 1996, actress-singer Dorothy Lamour died at her North Hollywood home at age 81. Tribune Content Agency Q: How do you know the Bible is true? People living many centuries ago thought it was true, but we live in a scientific age, and we know a lot more about the world. — Z.H.
A: I’m grateful for every discovery scientists have made; many reading this column probably wouldn’t be alive, nor would I, if it weren’t for the remarkable advances made by medical science over the last few centuries.
But these discoveries have only strengthened my confidence in the Bible! For one thing, every scientific discovery confirms the Bible’s statement that behind this incredibly complex creation is a Creator — God. Not every scientist believes in God, I know — but I’ve met many who do, and without exception they have told me how their discoveries have strengthened their faith in God. The Bible says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).
These discoveries have strengthened my confidence for another reason: They show that science alone can never answer life’s most basic questions. Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where are we going when we die? Only the Bible answers these questions, because it tells us about God and his plan for our lives.
The main reason I know the Bible is true, however, is because it points us to Jesus Christ. He was God in human flesh, sent from Heaven to give us hope. This is why I invite you to make the greatest discovery you could ever make, by investigating with an open heart and mind what the Bible says about Jesus for yourself. Don’t let doubt, or pride, or anything else keep you from putting your faith and trust in him. Send your queries to “My Answer,” c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C., 28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit billygraham.org.