BACK

VERACITY 6'?m2f Is the Bible scientifically accurate? 

LIZ -- (enters with dark circles around eyes, clothes 
disheveled, arms full of books, drops them on podium, pages 
through one book)

AMY -- (shouts from offstage) Professor Johnson?

LIZ -- (shouts without looking up) In here.

AMY -- (enters) Oh, there you are. 

LIZ -- Thankyou for coming.

AMY -- Would you mind telling me why you got me out of bed at 
seven o'clock on a Sunday morning, AGAIN?

LIZ -- I don't have much time left. I need your help.

AMY -- How did you talk the security guard into letting you into 
the library at this hour?

LIZ -- (sigh) If you must know, I came here at two o'clock in 
the morning and found him sleeping on the job. I told him I 
wouldn't tell campus security if he let me in.

AMY -- Two o'clock in the morning? You mean you haven't slept 
all night?

LIZ -- (sigh) If you must know, I haven't slept for three days. 
(impatient) Listen, I don't have time to waste. I...

AMY -- Don't tell me. You made another wager with Professor 
Tizdale.

LIZ -- Yes, he said that if I could find proof that the Bible is 
scientifically inaccurate, he would resign from the faculty. How 
could I refuse an offer like that? That man has been a thorn in 
my side since he joined the faculty.

AMY -- And what if you can't find any proof that the Bible is 
not accurate?

LIZ -- I have to go to church AGAIN.

AMY -- Church can't be that bad.

LIZ -- Oh, yes, it can. If what the Bible says is true, then I'm 
going to hell. Let me tell you: I AM NOT GOING TO HELL. (hands 
Amy a Bible) Here, help me.

AMY -- I don't know anything about the Bible. I'm a cosmologist. 
You know... astronomy... physics... mathematics.

LIZ -- (pouring over books) This part of the Bible is all about 
cosmology. Look at Genesis 1:2. 

AMY -- (opens Bible) Oh, yes, that's the story of creation.

LIZ -- ALLEGED creation! Just read. (points to Bible)

AMY -- (reads) Genesis 1:2 "Now the earth was formless and empty, 
darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God 
was hovering over the waters."

LIZ -- That's a cosmology error isn't it?

AMY -- It says water covered the whole earth. How is that an 
error?

LIZ -- What about the continents? They can't ALL be under water.

AMY -- Well, actually, when the earth was first formed, it was 
probably a perfect sphere. Any water on the surface would have 
uniformly coated the sphere. The amount of water that is in the 
oceans today would have been pretty deep, just like it says.

LIZ -- Not even the mountains would be sticking out?

AMY -- Actually, the mountains would not have formed yet until 
the volcanoes and plate tectonics caused the earth's crust to 
uplift.

LIZ -- Rats! Read the next verse. There's an error there. I know 
it.

AMY -- Verse 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was 
light.

LIZ -- How can there me light before the lights in the sky 
appeared in verse 14. (resumes pouring through books)

AMY -- Let's see... (reads) let there be light... let there 
be... (mumbles) clouds... (taps) that's clouds! ... and that's 
the forming of the continents (taps) through volcano eruption 
and the shifting of the earth's crust..., let there be 
vegetation... let there be lights in the sky... well, isn't that 
amazing! That's exactly the way it happened!

LIZ -- ...the way what happened?

AMY -- See, wherever it says "let there be...", this is the 
exact order we theorized things happened on earth! 

LIZ -- Don't say that! That's not what I wanted to hear!

AMY -- Okay, look here. "Let there be light". That's the 
formation of the sun. We're pretty sure the sun formed before 
the planets. Then it says "evening and morning". That's the 
description of the earth spinning on it's axis causing night and 
day... Everything is correct including the clouds and the 
volcanic ash in the sky.

LIZ -- What volcanic ash? I didn't see any volcanic ash. 
(snoops)

AMY -- Well, it doesn't use the words "volcanic ash", but that's 
how it happened. (points) Right here. The same volcano eruptions 
that produce the continents also produce the ash that becomes 
the soil that the vegetation grows in, here. (taps) The 
eruptions also explain why you can't see the lights in the sky 
until down here in verse 14. Isn't that amazing!?

LIZ -- You lost me.

AMY -- In the beginning, the earth's crust was real thin. There 
were probably dozens, maybe hundreds of volcanoes spewing ash 
and soot into the sky all over the world. The sun light would 
still filter through to help the plants grow, but you couldn't 
see the moon or the stars in the night sky until the planet 
cooled off and the volcanoes settled down. Isn't that amazing? 
This is the first religious book I've ever read that got the 
story of creation correct.

LIZ -- (covers ears) Don't say that! I don't want to hear that! 
You're supposed to be helping me punch holes in this story! 

AMY -- I'm sorry.

LIZ -- And don't be calling it CREATION. If there was a 
creation, then there has to be a creator. 

AMY -- Well, we cosmologists have been acknowledging a creator 
for years.

LIZ -- (covers ears) Don't say that! I don't want to hear that! 
Don't tell me you buy into the big bang theory.

AMY -- Well, we know from several different measurements that 
the universe is expanding. That implies an explosion. And that 
means the universe had a beginning. And that means it had to 
have a beginner.

LIZ -- (covers ears) Don't say that! I don't want to hear that! 
You're supposed to be helping me. (holds up book, points) What 
about these yo-yo theories that say that the universe had  
multiple beginnings? You know, the theories about the universe 
eternally expanding and then contracting, expanding and 
contracting?

AMY -- Well, first of all, there is not the right amount of 
matter in the universe to slow the expansion to a complete stop, 
let alone to contract it. And even if there was the right amount 
of matter to begin contraction, the resulting implosion would 
probably end in a thud instead of a bounce. No, there's no 
getting around it. Even the atheists in cosmology are talking 
about the "hand of God" at the beginning.

LIZ -- (covers ears) Don't say that! I don't want to hear that! 

AMY -- I'm sorry. I wish I could be more help. But it looks like 
the Bible is pretty accurate. What church did you say Professor 
Tizdale goes to?

LIZ -- Oh, don't tell me YOU are turning tail on me and joining 
the enemy!

AMY -- Well,... (moves to exit)

LIZ -- (stands, moves to exit, sighs) Alright, meet me in front 
of the student union at nine o'clock. We'll walk over to the 
church together. (stops) By the way, you got any knee pads?

AMY -- (stops) Knee pads?

LIZ -- Yes. If there's a God, then, I have to act like he 
exists. (exiting) I'll have to do some serious humbling.

©2013 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it.
Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances.
You may reproduce and distribute this script freely,
but all copies must contain this copyright statement.
http://www.bobsnook.org  email: [email protected]

BACK