Those laws [of nature] are within the grasp of the human mind; God wanted us to recognize them by creating us after his own image so that we could share in his own thoughts.
As we conquer peak after peak we see in front of us regions full of interest and beauty, but we do not see our goal, we do not see the horizon; in the distance tower still higher peaks, which will yield to those who ascend them still wider prospects, and deepen the feeling, the truth of which is emphasized by every advance in science, that ‘Great are the Works of the Lord’
The best data we have (concerning the Big Bang) are exactly what I would have predicted, had I nothing to go on but the five books of Moses, the Psalms, the Bible as a whole.
The resurrection of Jesus, which transformed completely the thought and the lives of those who witnessed it, testified to me that the Holy Spirit that searches an open heart has the power and the love to free us from conformity and transform us by the renewing of our mind.
To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge
It is evident that an acquaintance with natural laws means no less than an acquaintance with the mind of God therein expressed
The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator. Science brings men nearer to God.
Faith is necessary for the scientist even to get started, and deep faith is necessary for him to carry out his tougher tasks. Why? Because he must have confidence that there is order in the universe and that the human mind - in fact his own mind - has a good chance of understanding this order.
A scientific discovery is also a religious discovery. There is no conflict between science and religion. Our knowledge of God is made larger with every discovery we make about the world.
Yet even in earthly matters I believe that ‘the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead,’ and I have never seen anything incompatible between those things of man which can be known by the spirit of man which is within him, and those higher things concerning his future, which he cannot know by that spirit
As I try to discern the origin of that conviction, I seem to find it in a basic notion . . . enunciated first in the Western world by the ancient Hebrews: namely, that the universe is governed by a single God, and is not the product of the whims of many gods, each governing his own province according to his own laws. This monotheistic view seems to be the historical foundation for modern science
But the context of religion is a great background for doing science. In the words of Psalm 19, ‘The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork’. Thus scientific research is a worshipful act, in that it reveals more of the wonders of God’s creation
It is our proud office to tend the fleshly tabernacle of the immortal spirit, and our path, if rightly followed, will be guided by unfettered truth and love unfeigned. In pursuit of this noble and holy calling I wish you all God-speed.
We cannot in any better manner, glorify the Lord and Creator of the Universe, than that, in all things, however small soever they appear to our naked eyes, but which yet have received the gift of life, and power of increase, we contemplate the display of his Omniscience and Perfections with the utmost admiration.
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Day 2 as Described in Genesis
And God said, “Let the vapors separate to form the sky above and the oceans below.” So God made the sky, dividing the vapor above from the water below. This all happened on the second day.
(Genesis 1:6-8 TLB)
This chronicles the creation of the earth’s atmosphere, the sky, between the thick opaque water vapors above the sky and the seas beneath the sky.
Probable Time Frame ~3000 mya to 2400 mya
Image by Jack Jackie Pomi - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cyanobacteria/Green-blue algae (Aerobic) (~ -2700 to -2400)
- Small plants appear
- Oxygenation begins from photosynthesis actions of algae and plants, as evidenced by banded iron formation
- Carbon also dissolves in oceans
- Algae later become sediments at ocean floor
Note that the videos below are not too clear about the formation of the atmosphere from oxygenation. However, the New Scientist article shows how modeling based on ocean sediment samples strongly suggests that the haze of hydrocarbon fog was cleared from the early atmosphere and replaced with oxygen from photosynthesis during this time period.
Videos Covering This Timeframe
Day 2 of Creation
5 Videos
| YouTube Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Formation of the atmosphere | Evolution of the chemical components of the earth's atmosphere. |
| Earth and The Early Atmosphere | Big History presentation of Earth's atmosphere. Creation of an endless cycle of warming, cooling, and recovery. |
| Early Earth Atmosphere | First earth atmosphere. Collision, moon, Hadean. Cynobacteria. Banded iron formations. |
| How Bad Was the Great Oxidation Event? | Description of the beginning of life in the seas, photosynthesis, and then the great oxidation event. |
| What Was The Earth Like 3 Billion Years Ago? | Overview of what the earth may have been like from about 4.1 bya to 2.5 bya. |