Myth-Buster Series: The Lens of Scripture

In 2 Timothy 4:4, the Apostle Paul warns the young Timothy that people "will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." The question that we should immediately ask is: "How do we tell the difference between truth and myth?" We might also wonder what tools could help us in our inquiry or if there is an objective lens that will give us a clear picture of reality.

Many are familiar with the popular TV show, “MythBusters.” In each episode, different ideas and claims are considered and then tested to determine their validity. Whether they realize it or not, the people on this show are facing this same question of: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). It is clear that the cast and crew from “MythBusters” use science as their standard for discerning fact from fiction. They follow the scientific method to create tests which will help them evaluate whether or not a claim is possible/plausible. In many cases, this method is a wonderful tool that helps us better understand the world in which we live. However, it can only answer certain types of questions. For example, “MythBusters” can use science to answer questions like these without any problems:

“Is it possible to swing so fast on a swing set that you do a 360^o over the crossbar?”

“If you microwave a piece of metal, will your microwave explode?”

“If you drop a penny off a skyscraper, could it kill a person?”

But what about this question:

“Should I drop pennies on people from the top of a skyscraper?”

Science can answer “What” questions, but it can’t touch the “Should” or the “Ought” questions. Science can help us understand the difference between true and false in a physical sense, but it cannot tell us the difference between right and wrong in the moral sense. Science can only describe the world as we observe it. It does not have any power to prescribe ethical behavior. One can give a recommendation to someone else based upon scientific observation: “If you put your hand in the fire, it will get burned. I wouldn’t do it if I were you.” But the suggestion to keep one’s hand out of the fire is based on personal preference, not an objective standard of right and wrong. Science provides information and greater power to act, but it doesn’t tell us what we ought (not) to do with that information or power. Science is not a respecter of persons: it aids those who wish to help as well as those who wish to hurt. For centuries, tyrants and thugs have intentionally used fire to torture and kill other humans beings to get what they want. Their actions are based on the same scientific observation, but motivated by a different personal preference. Who's to say if one personal preference is better than another? Science can only say "what" will happen to a person’s body if subjected to extreme heat. It can’t tell us if we "should" or "should not" do such a thing to other human beings. In fact, science is dependent upon non-physical principles of logic, knowledge, truth, uniformity in nature, induction, etc. and it is governed by a code of ethics which involves honesty and respect for human dignity. Science cannot account for its own preconditions. To answer the questions that move beyond the scope of "what" can or does happen in the physical universe, we need to use a bigger lens.

Right before Paul warns Timothy about the turning away from truth to myth, he includes this infamous statement about God's Word:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Paul has already answered the question of how to rightly discern truth. God has given us His Word for teaching, training, and equipping in matters of righteousness. If we want to know right from wrong, moral from immoral, ethical from unethical, God has given us the instruction that we need. As the transcendent Creator of the universe, He is the only One with the objectivity and authority to speak truth into our lives (Psalm 24:1-2; Isaiah 40:22; 55:8-9). He knows how everything is supposed to work and fit together because He is the One who made it! He alone is qualified to tell us about how we should live, how we should think, how we should treat one another, what we should believe, and even how we should do science. Without God, we would not exist, much less be able to do anything. He is the author of life and knows what is best for us. His commands and instructions are not burdensome (Matthew 11:28-30), but His Word guides us in the way of wisdom, righteousness, and truth (Psalms 23:3; 119-105; Proverbs 4:10-12; 8:20). So who will you trust: God or yourself? (Romans 3:4)

As we tackle different myths this year, we will examine them through the lens of Scripture because it is our source of truth. If an idea does not mesh with what God has revealed in His Word, it is "busted" and will unravel before our eyes. But everything that lines up with God's truth will stand the test of time:

"Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment." (Proverbs 12:19)