Trust and Science

About a week ago one of my younger brothers leaned against one of our book shelves and it fell, all the books on it falling as well. But in this accident one of our old copies of Handel's Messiah opened and something fell out of it. It was a program for a performance of Messiah in New York city on July 21, 1917. It is neat to look through, but something particular that caught my eye was the ad for Nestle's Food. Here is most of the ad:

"Your baby can't grow rosy and strong if he doesn't have the right food. Nurse your baby, if you can. If you can't, wean him on 

Nestle's Food

(A complete food--not a milk modifier)

Don't give him raw cow's milk. Cow's milk needs a calf's four stomachs to digest it. "Cow's milk, as ordinarily marketed, is unfit for human consumption," says the U.S. Government.

But there is still something in cow's milk that is good for your baby, if that something is modified and purified so that it is as light, as satisfying and as pure as mother's milk itself. That is what is done for you in Nestle's Food. It comes to you reduced to a powder--in an air-tight can. You only add water--boil one minute--and it's ready with just the right amount of fats, protieds, and carbohydrates that will make a heathy baby."

I post this not really to make a statement on milk. I want to show that the people trusted the government and science very much at this time. Another ad also promotes itself by saying "Best by U.S. Gov't Test." This was near the end of the progressive era which had great optimism in man's knowledge, institutions, and government. Even though World War I damaged this optimism it continued fairly strong in the popular sphere up to the 60s and the Hippies. Then the optimism was focused elsewhere (still not in a good direction), and the centralized systems took a hit. Today, some people still have a tendency to trust the government, but a growing movement is reacting against this into an almost total distrust of government and science. 

As this ad shows, the "U.S. Government" is not infallible, and the science that made powdered milk in a air-tight can is not either, but where many people are turning isn't much better. We should look to God and His Word as our infallible authority. Not that He has given us a specific diet plan, but He has given us general priorities, and He has given us methods to find out what is good. Science does have a place in a biblical view of food, but it is under God (civil government, on the other hand, has a very small role when it comes to food choices, almost none). As Christians we should seek to learn science to understand its benefits and limitations.

People have trusted the civil government on science largely because they have employed hard working, careful scientists; their main fault being a failure to recognize their limit. For Christians to replace the civil government as those with a reputation for true science we must work hard and carefully (not believing every wind of teaching that shows up on Facebook). We must guard this reputation by recognizing our limits and always working under the sovereignty of God.

-Peter Bringe

The Future of Food

What is the future of food?

Will food become more convenient and indulgent, and consumers become more dependent on expensive supplements to maintain their health? Will fruit, berry, and vegetable production be increasingly used for the sale of plant extracts to supplement foods, rather than being sold as less profitable and more perishable whole food? Will the cost of fuel make it difficult to afford foods that we have today from around the states and the world? Will people get more of their food from local farming families? Will people convert more of the property in their communities into vegetable, fruit and berry gardens? Will people know more about the beauty of minimally processed food and praise God?

Without a change from the current path of the nations, maybe the obesity crisis and cost of associated diseases will bring blame to producers, processors, marketers, and food services. The result could be mandates based on government guidelines, scientific experts and lobby groups. Pressures may increase on the largest retail stores and food companies to require suppliers to comply with standards around fat, sugar, and calories, and watch-dog organizations may put public pressure on companies that do not comply. Maybe these pressures will result in a better version of Pringles and fried chicken containing lower levels of hydrogenated frying oil, but will have no effect on people’s appreciation and consumption of red potato salad or chicken stew.

There is a niche demand for whole, mostly plant-based foods by those who make health and wellness a high priority. This market is served by natural food chains like Whole Foods which experience growth as the economy improves. It may be difficult for families to afford premium and conveniently prepared supplies and foods, especially as the prices increase and food becomes scarcer with increased demand for fuel and food from China. Perhaps some of the pressures on food prices will be curtailed by putting more of our own labor into producing food and trading/selling products with people that we know.

It could happen that individual families affect change in the nation by discipling their children in the knowledge of God. It could be that the character of children, families, churches, and communities are changed by God through faith in Christ and thus increasingly want and learn what is right and good by the power of the Holy Spirit. Maybe it will not be necessary to tax people to influence their consumption of junk food. Perhaps as people depend on God for their needs they will break addictions to the shallow sensuality of ‘pop food’. Perhaps they may steward the value of each food God has created and appreciate their combined roles, inspiring elegant presentation and health, and limiting the need for supplements and drugs. Families may act based on their faith in God and have courage to govern themselves according to God’s word. They may have hope because it is a blessing from God and because they can see how God has worked through history to provide. Maybe the Christian’s worldview will be attractive to others and even the ungodly see the benefits of a God-centered society. Maybe the whole nation will become prosperous, healthy, and free at the same time. Maybe the nation is blessed whose God is the Lord.

-Neal