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The Harmony of Science and Scripture. Volume One in the Frost Memorial Series
Grand Eerdmans; 1949. 13th edition. Cloth hardcover. Dust Jacket 283pp
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1949
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February 24, 2025
AN EARLY WORK OF ‘CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS’
Harry Rimmer (1890—1952) was an early creationist/anti-evolutionist writer, who was influential in the fundamentalist movement. He wrote in the Foreword to this 1936 book, “This is the first of six volumes, to appear at intervals. These volumes will constitute a library of apologetics and Christian evidences…”
He states in Chapter 1, “Our main objection to the pseudo-scientific philosophy of this present generation is that it manifests an amazing willingness to surrender the eternal verity of God’s revelation for the unfounded theories propounded by men who are utterly without ability to prove their wild imaginings… The Book which men call the Bible has remained unchanged and undeviating for thousands of years… all of its contents have an unwavering unanimity upon every subject introduced into its pages… [W]hen men of science agree unanimously upon any correlated body of facts and do not change their conclusions … for several thousand years, we will then be willing, if necessary, to discard the Bible and accept their conclusions instead!” (Pg. 12-13)
He asserts, “If instinct is inherited memory, then the first of every species and order that possesses this innate wisdom so remarkable in the world of biology, had the intelligence to study these laws and master them by reason.” (Pg 39)
He acknowledges, “In a book that owed its origin and authority to the perfect knowledge of Deity, no error of any kind could be admissible. Regardless of the reason for the writing, Almighty God knew the facts in all cases. Therefore, if errors of science are found in the Bible, its claim to inspiration are proved false and its divine authority has been disproved.” (Pg. 56)
He comments on the story of Jonah and the ‘Great Fish,’ he observes, “The amazing thing is that the obstinate prophet waited three days to begin. Had one of us been swallowed by that fish, in less than three minutes the Lord would have heard our cry, 'Let me out; I want to go to Nineveh!’” (Pg.164)
He observes, “One of the strongest arguments of the [higher] critical school… for their fallacious philosophy, has been the conduct of Jonah. When God called him… he fled from the call of God and headed to Tarshish. The higher critic has sought to show that Jonah believed that God’s power was restricted to Palestine. So if he got beyond the confines of Palestine, his God could not reach him.” (Pg. 170)
He argues, “We have records that show the whale has proved itself host to various living creatures… all whales have in their heads a wonderful air storage chamber… Recently in the ‘Cleveland Plain Dealer’ was an article … [which] says that a dog was lost overboard from a whaler. It was found in the head of the whale six days later alive, and none the worse for its unnatural journey.” (Pg. 182-183)
He turns to the “long day” of Joshua in Joshua 9-10, and reports, “We have indisputable evidence from the modern science of ethnology that such an event occurred as Joshua records… in the ancient Chinese writings there is a legend of a long day. The Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico have a like record, and there is a Babylonian and a Persian legend of a day that was miraculously extended… Herodotus recounts that the priests of Egypt showed him their temple records, and … there he read a strange account of a day that was twice the normal length.” (Pg. 269)
He concludes, “Search the heavens, for the truth is there… as long as time shall last, the long day of Joshua will be attested as a scientific fact!” (Pg. 283)
This book may interest some Christians who are studying the history of apologetics.
Harry Rimmer (1890—1952) was an early creationist/anti-evolutionist writer, who was influential in the fundamentalist movement. He wrote in the Foreword to this 1936 book, “This is the first of six volumes, to appear at intervals. These volumes will constitute a library of apologetics and Christian evidences…”
He states in Chapter 1, “Our main objection to the pseudo-scientific philosophy of this present generation is that it manifests an amazing willingness to surrender the eternal verity of God’s revelation for the unfounded theories propounded by men who are utterly without ability to prove their wild imaginings… The Book which men call the Bible has remained unchanged and undeviating for thousands of years… all of its contents have an unwavering unanimity upon every subject introduced into its pages… [W]hen men of science agree unanimously upon any correlated body of facts and do not change their conclusions … for several thousand years, we will then be willing, if necessary, to discard the Bible and accept their conclusions instead!” (Pg. 12-13)
He asserts, “If instinct is inherited memory, then the first of every species and order that possesses this innate wisdom so remarkable in the world of biology, had the intelligence to study these laws and master them by reason.” (Pg 39)
He acknowledges, “In a book that owed its origin and authority to the perfect knowledge of Deity, no error of any kind could be admissible. Regardless of the reason for the writing, Almighty God knew the facts in all cases. Therefore, if errors of science are found in the Bible, its claim to inspiration are proved false and its divine authority has been disproved.” (Pg. 56)
He comments on the story of Jonah and the ‘Great Fish,’ he observes, “The amazing thing is that the obstinate prophet waited three days to begin. Had one of us been swallowed by that fish, in less than three minutes the Lord would have heard our cry, 'Let me out; I want to go to Nineveh!’” (Pg.164)
He observes, “One of the strongest arguments of the [higher] critical school… for their fallacious philosophy, has been the conduct of Jonah. When God called him… he fled from the call of God and headed to Tarshish. The higher critic has sought to show that Jonah believed that God’s power was restricted to Palestine. So if he got beyond the confines of Palestine, his God could not reach him.” (Pg. 170)
He argues, “We have records that show the whale has proved itself host to various living creatures… all whales have in their heads a wonderful air storage chamber… Recently in the ‘Cleveland Plain Dealer’ was an article … [which] says that a dog was lost overboard from a whaler. It was found in the head of the whale six days later alive, and none the worse for its unnatural journey.” (Pg. 182-183)
He turns to the “long day” of Joshua in Joshua 9-10, and reports, “We have indisputable evidence from the modern science of ethnology that such an event occurred as Joshua records… in the ancient Chinese writings there is a legend of a long day. The Incas of Peru and the Aztecs of Mexico have a like record, and there is a Babylonian and a Persian legend of a day that was miraculously extended… Herodotus recounts that the priests of Egypt showed him their temple records, and … there he read a strange account of a day that was twice the normal length.” (Pg. 269)
He concludes, “Search the heavens, for the truth is there… as long as time shall last, the long day of Joshua will be attested as a scientific fact!” (Pg. 283)
This book may interest some Christians who are studying the history of apologetics.
Displaying 1 of 1 review