The great geneticist and evolutionist Theodosius Dobzhansky is often quoted for his famous statement: "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution." By 'makes sense'. he is referring to the continuity and context in which all biological systems are found. He is essentially saying that evolution and the mechanisms by which it operates are as fundamental to the existence of biological entities and our understanding of them as atoms are fundamental to the existence of chemical entities and our understanding of those.
Before the atomic nature of matter was established beyond doubt (in 1905 by Einstein's paper quantitatively explaining the atomic origin of Brownian motion), there were two distinct scientific theories of matter: the atomic theory and the continuum theory. Each theory claimed experimental evidence in its support and a lot of empirical evidence could be interpreted to support both theories. The concepts underlaying these two theories and the heated controversies as to which was correct can be traced back to early Greek philosophies (and probably arose much earlier): Zeno's paradoxes assume the continuum theory, while Democrites' atomic theory was proposed in part to refute Zeno's paradoxes.
The point of this PNT is to ask if the bible, in any of its passages, takes a stand on this controversy. Can anyone quote a biblical passage that clearly states, or that can be interpreted to state that matter is either continuous or atomic in nature? "Atomic" here means made up of distinct units and includes molecules as well as atoms.
I will start the ball rolling with the second verse of Genesis: "And the earth was without form, and void..." 'Without form' clearly implies that the matter of the earth was continuous and not atomic in nature, for if it were atomic (and molecular), it would have the form of the atoms (and molecules) that make it up. Thus, either Genesis 1.2 or the atomic theory of matter is correct, but not both.
Any comments or other examples from the bible that support one theory or the other?
What forum? Bible inerrancy I suppose.
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