False Witness

By Karen A. Bellenir

Photo by William Iven on Unsplash.

Many Christians know about the Ten Commandments. The first few talk about honoring God and the last five list things to not do. The ninth commandment says, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16 and repeated in Deuteronomy 5:20, ESV*).

In answer to the question, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus told one of his most famous parables, the story of the Good Samaritan (read it in Luke 10:29-37). Other New Testament passages further explain the kinds of talk Christ’s followers should avoid. Christians are exhorted to avoid being gossips, slanderers, and busybodies (see Romans 1:29-30, 2 Corinthians 12:20, and 1 Timothy 5:13). In addition, Jesus himself warned against insulting people and calling them names (Matthew 5:22).

In recent weeks, as people are spending more time at home due to the global struggle against the spread of the coronavirus, it seems that social media channels have become more active. These social media options help fill a gap in the human desire for connection by providing a way to talk with family, friends, and strangers when face-to-face interactions are not possible.

Maintaining connections is important, but the desire to strengthen ties through sharing posts may have outpaced people’s motivation or ability to verify the accuracy of posts they help distribute. I have seen quotes attributed to authors who did not write them. I have seen medical tips, including some that are dangerously erroneous, attributed to authorities who deny producing them. I have seen statistics quoted out of context and some that seem entirely fabricated. These are often accompanied by a heavy dose of gossip, slander, and insults. These types of false witness are especially problematic when they are sandwiched between posts identifying a person as a Christian because they present to the world the notion that to be a Christian is to be unconcerned with truth or even civility.

I’d like to offer a suggestion. Before you “like,” “love,” or otherwise share a post, check to make sure it is true. You can navigate to a purported source’s website and see if that source did indeed distribute the information. Look up the text of legislation being referenced and see if it actually says what is claimed. Conduct your own research and check facts. If you can’t independently verify something as true, don’t help distribute it.

If you want to share your own opinions, political or otherwise, please do. This is the hallmark of America’s cherished First Amendment rights. If you can do so while avoiding lies, gossip, slander, insults, and name calling, you’ll also be aligned with biblical instructions regarding how to best communicate.

*The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

What Time Is It?

By Karen A. Bellenir

Roman time-keeping device, Prague, Czech Republic (Photo by Fabrizio Verrecchia on Unsplash).

For many people, this weekend marks the beginning of Daylight Saving Time, when clocks “spring forward” one hour. The change officially takes place at 2:00 a.m. on March 8. At that hour clocks will be reset to read 3:00 a.m. When everyone makes the adjustment at the same time, schedules remain predictable.

For most of history, however, clocks were set using a different standard. Noon occurred when the sun reached its highest point. Because the earth spins continuously, the moment of this occurrence, solar noon, was a local phenomenon. Noon in Boston, for example, might occur nearly a half hour before noon in Washington, DC.

In Europe and in North America, the need for a standardized time-keeping method arose along with the railroad industry. U.S. railroads divided the continental stretch between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans into four zones. In 1918, these were finalized and formally adopted as the time zones Americans know today. Around the globe, time zones add or subtract hours or fractions of hours from a conventional standard known as Coordinated Universal Time (abbreviated UTC), which is centered on the Prime Meridian, an historically important reference point running through Greenwich, England.

Earth’s time zones designate areas that each encompass approximately 15 degrees of longitude, although there are many adjustments to accommodate commercial, social, and geopolitical needs. By establishing a median standard within the zones, local solar noon often became displaced from noon on the clock. For example, on March 7, 2020, solar noon in Washington DC will occur a few seconds before 12:19 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Switching to Daylight Saving Time increases the difference by an hour. On March 8, 2020, solar noon in Washington DC will occur a few seconds before 1:19 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

You can use the NOAA Solar Calculator, produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Earth System Research Laboratory, to determine the time of solar noon in your location.

Ocean Acidification

By Karen A. Bellenir

Many people talk about problems associated with increased amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. One often-overlooked concern relates to the consequences this has for the world’s oceans.

The ocean absorbs 25–30% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere. This leads to chemical changes that increase the acidity of seawater. Even tiny changes in acidity can impact marine plants and animals. Effects interfere with respiration and photosynthesis, building shells and skeletons, and reproducing.

Shellfish, including oysters and clams, and other marine organisms such as sea urchins, corals, and various species of plankton are especially at risk. Plankton may not be a topic discussed in typical everyday conversations, but these organisms play a vital role in the marine food web and phytoplankton (marine plants) produce 70% of the oxygen in our atmosphere.

To learn more about ocean acidification, visit the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s National Ocean Service information page on Ocean Acidification.

Shellfish represent just one group of organisms threatened by ocean acidification (image from Thesaurus conchyliorum, or, Monographs of genera of shells, London: Sowerby, G.B. 1847-1887; via biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43936640).