16. Unscientific Teachings in Bible, Scientific Truth in Vedas
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UNSCIENTIFIC TEACHINGS IN BIBLE, SCIENTIFIC TRUTH IN VEDAS
1. UNSCIENTIFIC TEACHINGS IN BIBLE
(i) The sky has windows
The sky is nothing but a vacuum. It does not have windows. But Holy Bible states that the windows of sky were opened
170. ‘11. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the Mountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.’
- Genesis, 7/11
No scientist will agree to the above text.
(ii) The earth has foundations, pillars and four corners!
According to Biblical Geography (Social Science), the earth has foundations, pillars and four corners ! Read the following three verses :
The Earth has foundations :
171. ‘5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.’
- Psalms, 104/5
The Earth has pillars :
172. ‘8 for the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and he bath set the world upon them.’
- I Samuel, 2/8
The Earth has four corners :
173. ‘1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.’
- Revelation, 7/1
(iii) The sun, not the earth, moves !
Joshua commanded the sun to standstill and not the earth. This is Biblical Science ! The following passage indicates that Joshua stops the sun and the moon :
174. ‘13. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.’
- Joshua, 10/13
All the educated people of the world know today that the sun never moves, it is the earth that revolves. When Copernicus declared this scientific truth for the first time, the clergymen raised hues and cries against the learned scientist calling him atheist, because he contradicted Holy Bible. Consequently he was humiliated and tortured. Martin Luther, the German religious reformer who was the founder of the Protestant Reformation, commented upon the Copernicus theory as under :
‘The fool (Copernicus) wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy. But sacred Scripture tells us that Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the earth.’
- Martin Luther
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru writes in his ‘Glimpses of World History’ :
_’Giordano Bruno, an Italian, was burnt in Rome by the Church in 1600for insisting that the earth went round the sun.’_91
- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
James A. Haught states in his book, ‘Holy Horrors’ :
_’At Alexandria in 415, the great woman scientist Hypatia, head of Alexandria Library, was beaten to death by monks and other followers of St Cyril, who viewed her science much as the church later viewed Galileo’s.’_92
- James A. Haught
While commenting upon Biblical Science, George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, critic and essayist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1925, observes :
_’Bible is hopelessly pre-evolutionary; its descriptions of the origin of life and morals are obviously fairy tales; its astronomy is terracentric; its notions of the starry universe are childish; its history is epical and legendary: in short, people whose education in these departments is derived from the Bible are so absurdly misinformed as to be unfit for public employment, parental responsibility, or the franchise.’_93
- George Bernard Shaw
In modern scientific era, educated Christian missionaries feel ashamed to give any publicity to the afore-mentioned verse of the Holy Bible.
In spite of the fact that Holy Bible is replete with erroneous and unscientific statements, the Christians claim that it is authority on each and every matter of the earth and anything can be proved from the Holy Book. In this connection Thomas Paine, great thinker of American Revolution, observes :
_’It has often been said that anything may be proved from the Bible, but before anything can be admitted as proved by the Bible, the Bible itself must be proved to be true; for if the Bible be not true, or the truth of it be doubtful, it ceases to have authority, and cannot be admitted as proof of anything.’_94
- Thomas Paine
Antonio Fogazzaro, the renowned Italian novelist, observes :
_’The Catholic Church, calling herself the fountain of truth, today opposes the search after truth, when her foundations, the sacred books, the formulae of her dogmas, her alleged infallibility, become objects of research to us, this signifies that she no longer has faith in herself.’_95
- Antonio Fogazzaro
According to George Bernard Shaw, the fundamentalist clergymen are the worst enemies of religion, and the Holy Bible, in spite of being the work of many highly gifted authors and translators, is a jumble of savage superstitions. He states :
_’It is time to tell our Fundamentalists bluntly that they are the worst enemies of religion today; that Jehovah is no God, but a barbarous tribal idol,. that the English Bible, though a masterpiece of literary art in its readable parts, and, being the work of many highly gifted authors and translators, is yet a jumble of savage superstition, obsolete cosmology, and a theology presented in such an unbalanced one-sided way, that the first Christian Catholic Church forbade the laity to read the Bible without special permission.’_96
- George Bernard Shaw
According to George Bernard Shaw, Bible-educated man is ignoramus. He opines :
_’It is the Bible-educated human who is now the ignoramus. If you doubt it, try to pass an examination for any practical employment by giving Bible answers to the examiners’ questions. You will be fortunate if you are merely plucked and not certified as a lunatic.’_97
- George Bernard Shaw
(iv) Is disease caused by devil ?
According to Jesus, disease is caused by devil. If the devil is removed from body of sick man, he becomes all right. The New Testament of Holy Bible narrates that Jesus Christ removed devil from the body of a man in synagogue :
175. ‘33. And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice.’
- Lake, 4/33
176. ‘35. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.’
- Luke, 4/35
Here is another verse indicating that disease is caused by devil, and Jesus Christ healed many patients by removing devils from their bodies :
177. ‘34. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.’
- Mark, 1/34
Thomas Jefferson, the third President of America, states
_’The gospel history of Jesus consists of a groundwork of vulgar ignorance, of things impossible, of superstitions, fanaticism, and fabrications.’_98
- Thomas Jefferson
(v) Can a sick be cured by priest or doctor ?
If there is any sick among you, you need not call for a physician. A true Christian calls for ‘the elders of the Church’; because according to Holy Bible, the elders of the Church, (not doctor) will cure the sick. Here is a precept in the New Testament :
178. ‘14. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;’
- James, 5/14
If the elders of the church can cure any sick man by anointing him with oil, then all hospitals must be closed, and all qualified doctors should change their profession and learn to become churchmen. Alas ! this unscientific teaching has caused innumerable deaths in the families of the illiterate gullible people.
Today educated people fully know that a disease is not caused by devil and it can be cured only by doctors, not by the elders of the church. Had the sick man been cured by ‘the elders of the church’, Christian missionaries would not have established hospitals with qualified doctors. Their own action in establishing the hospitals contradicts the precept of the Holy Bible.
2. SCILENTIFIC TRUTH IN VEDAS
(i) The earth, not the sun, moves
Holy Vedas, in spite of being the most ancient scriptures, are in complete harmony with modern science. Brown, the Western scholar, opines :
‘Vedas paint the picture of scientific religion, where religion and science clap together. Vedas are based on religion, science and philosophy.’
- Brown
We find scientific truth in Yajur Veda so far as motion of the earth, (not the sun as in Holy Bible) is concerned
AayaM gaaO: paRiSnark
xmaIdsadna\ maatarM paur: | ipatar ca payantsva: ||
a yajauvao-d 3o6The Earth with all its waters
Revolves round the sun.Or
The Earth revolves
With its mother water In its orbit,
The Earth revolves
Around its father, the Sun.
- Yajur Veda 3/6
Mrs. Wheeler Willax, an eminent American writer, states:
‘We have all heard and read about the ancient religion of India. It is the land of the great Vedas, the most remarkable works containing not only religious ideals for a perfect life, but also facts which all the science has since proved true. Electricity, Radium, Electrons, Airships, all seem to be known to the seers who found the Vedas.’
- Mrs. Wheeler Willax
(ii) Disease is cured by medicines, not by priest
Holy Vedas do not approve of unscientific statement that disease is caused by devils. Only illiterate superstitious people believe in such unscientific teachings. Disease is caused due to infection (bacteria virus), unhygienic diet, pollution of air and contamination of water etc.
In ancient times, even the civilised nations of the world used to seek guidance in connection with art of healing from the Hindus who were called the Aryans during the days of yore. The Western physicians have now begun to realise the detrimental reactions of allopathy. They have started appreciating the efficacy of ‘Nature Cure’ and Ayurvedic medicines mentioned in Holy Vedas.
(iii) Nature cure
The cure of all diseases whether they are physical, mental, ethical and spiritual, lies in nature. Separation from nature results in decay and death, while communion with her brings harmony and hilarity. ‘Return to Nature’ or ‘Acquire knowledge of nature’ is the axis round which philosophy of Vedas revolves. Unnatural modes of medicines cause great harms. Hence Vedic religion pleads for nature cure. Elements of nature possess great powers to cure the most chronic diseases. On the surface of the earth or beneath the water, God Almighty has created most useful herbs which are panacea for all sorts of diseases. Man, being frail creature, having limited knowledge, is unaware of the precious uses of elements of nature. The diseases can be cured by water, earth, air, fire and sunshine. These are the chief elements of nature. Vedas encourage and inspire man to explore and acquire the knowledge of nature cure.
Apsva1ntarmaRtapsau BaoYajamapaamauta pa`Sastayao |
doovaa Bavata vaaijana: ||
a Pgvaod 1o23o19Ye learned men,
Acquire knowledge of nature cure,
Beneath the waters lies fluid
That cures aft fatal diseases.
The water possesses power
To cure all maladies,
Acquire this knowledge and power
For leading life of vigour and virtues
- Rig Veda 1/23/19
Here is mantra of Sam Veda elucidating the advantages of the rays of the sun :
ApaamaIvaamapa is~aQamapa saoQata duma-itama\ |
Aaidtyaasaao yauyaaotanaa naao Ahsa: ||
a saamavaod 397The solar rays drive away diseases
Dispel malignant thoughts
And keep us away from sins.
- Sam Veda 397
(iv) Ayurvedic medicines
Ayurveda is the foundation stone of the ancient medical science of Aryavarta. It is considered by some scholars as Upaveda consisting of supplementary hymns illustrating the definite properties and uses of drugs and medicinal plants. The earliest description of medicinal plants and their precious uses is to be found in Rig Veda which is the oldest scripture in the world.
Bharat is an emporium of medicinal plants, herbs and shrubs. Approximately more than seventy five per cent of drugs described in the British pharmacopoeia grow in India in a state of nature. Professor Greenish of the London School of Pharmacy rightly remarked, ‘India, owing to the remarkable variations she possesses of climate, attitude and soil, is in a position to produce successfully every variety of medical herbs required by Europe.’
The pharmacists and physicians of the West have now begun to realise that indigenous herbs of India penetrate and probe into the root of the disease and cure the patient permanently. It was proclaimed with confidence by the ancient Indian physicians in Vedic era. The following mantra of Rig Veda bears testimony to it
yasyaaOYaQaI pa
sapa-qaaD:gamaD:\ga par]Ypar]: | tataao yaXamaM iva baaQaQva {gaao maQyamaSaIirva ||
a Pgvaod 10o97o12The medicinal herbs
Penetrate and get diffused
Into all limbs and joints of the sick
And like a sharp and strong moderator
Destroy his disease.
- Rig Veda 10/97/12
Joccolliot, the famous writer of the West, opines candidly
‘Astonishing fact. The Hindu Revelation (the Veda) is of all revelations the only one whose ideas are in perfect harmony with modern science.’
- Joccolliot
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‘Society must be moulded to truth. Truth has not to adjust itself to society.’
- Swami Vivekananda
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Footnotes: 91 Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru : ‘Glimpses of World History’, p. 279
92 James A. Haught : ‘Holy Horrors’, published by Prometheus Books, New York, 1990, p. 53
93 George Bernard Shaw : ‘The Complete Prefaces of Bernard Show’, Chapter entitled ‘Preface to the Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God’, London, 1965, p. 649
94 Thomas Paine : ‘The Age of Reason’, published by Watts and Co., London, 1796, p. 35
95 N.S. Rajaram : ‘The Dead Sea Scrolls and The Crisis of Christianity’, London, 1997, p. 174
96 George Bernard Shaw : ‘Everybody k Political What’s What ?’, Chapter XLIII, ‘Religious Summary’, London, 1950, p. 357
97 George Bernard Shaw : ‘The Complete Prefaces of Bernard Shaw’, Chapter entitled ‘Preface to the Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God’, London, 1965, p. 650
98 T.J. Randolph : ‘Memoir. Cor. and Misc.’, Vol. 4, p. 325