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General Revelation and Frogs

A young scientist wanted to help people with disabilities and decided to do some research on the effects of various disabilities by engineering some experiments with frogs. Randomly a frog of average size and good health was selected and placed on an X painted on the floor. The scientist stood behind the frog and used persuasive means to get the frog to jump. "Jump! Frog, Jump!" The frog jumped, the scientist measured and then recorded the distance the frog jumped. The initial jump was 25 feet.

Next the scientist took the frog and surgically amputated his right front leg and following the exact same formula compelled the frog to jump. "Jump! Frog, Jump!" The frog jumped and the distance once again was recorded. "Right front leg amputated, frog jumped 20 feet. And again the experiment was repeated. This time the frog's left front leg was surgically removed and the distance he jumped was 15 feet. And thus the experiment continued until all four of the frog's legs had been surgically removed. The scientist once again tried to persuade the frog to jump.

"Jump! Frog, Jump!" The frog remained in place. The scientist tried harder to compel the frog and shouted as loudly as he could, "JUMP, FROG! JUMP! " "JUMP, FROG! JUMP! " The frog remained still as stone. The scientist, knowing the experiment was over wrote a detailed report and summarized by saying:

"After the surgical amputation of all four limbs the frog was rendered deaf."


The world we live in is full of people who make observations on what they see. Their observations are based on general revelation and can be meticulously gathered and documented but their conclusions can and will be just as wrong and absurd as our friend the scientist's. The problem is that too many Christians expect those people working with just general revelation to guide them and to have wisdom in matters where special revelation is required, like how to live a godly life and what our priorities as Christians should be.

Just a thought.


Psalm 25:8-9
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.
(NAS)
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Comments

Hobster said…
A very familiar illustration, but a very unfamiliar application--one I'll be adding to my arsenal. :)
January 7, 2010 at 2:05 AM
rosemarie said…
Yeah, I first heard that as a joke and the scientist shared my ethnic heritage. I had to make it somewhat politically correct... I just hope PETA doesn't get wind of my blog.
January 7, 2010 at 9:15 AM
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