By James N. Head
Arizona Daily Wildcat
May 4, 1998

Bible's credulity is unsupported

To the Editor:

Your columnist Rachel Alexander ("In defense of Christianity," Apr. 28) has made another unfortunate foray into Biblical credulity, this time quoting a report that not one artifact has been found "that contradicts the Bible." However, a literal reading of Daniel 4:11 and Matthew 4:8 makes it clear that the authors ascribed to a flat-earth cosmology. It has been known for some time now that the earth is, and remains, spherical, in apparent defiance of scripture.

Of course one may argue that the Bible should not be interpreted literally, in which case Ms. Alexander's claim has no meaning - any contradicting evidence can be hidden safely behind a metaphorical fog. In addition, there are many examples one can find of internal inconsistencies in the Bible. Therefore it seems inappropiate to find a "proof of God" therein, or to use it to disparage the stunning intellectual acheivements since it was written that may be unpalatable to the overly faithful.

Ms. Alexander again tempts me to purchase a Darwin fish of my own.

James N. Head
Planetary Sciences
Graduate Student