You can read about Dr. Raymond Damadian’s invention of the MRI in the book Gifted Mind. But I think it’s the spiritual aspect of the MRI story that’s most interesting of all. You see, an MRI scan forms a strong magnetic field around the area to be imaged. This excites the hydrogen atoms. These excited vibrating hydrogen atoms emit radio waves, and a contrast between normal and diseased tissues occurs because the excited atoms relax back to their “equilibrium state of vibration” at a unique rate depending on whether the tissue is normal or diseased.

In other words, Dr. Damadian found a way to differentiate between the undefiled beauty in creation and the dysfunctional ugliness of disease. In doing so, he highlighted an important creationist principle. At the end of the six creation days, the Bible tells us, “And God saw every thing that He had made, and behold it was very good” (Genesis 1:31a). Later, after Adam and Eve sinned, the world lost its innocence and became marred with imperfection – including disease. Good and bad have separate origins.

Dr. Raymond Damadian was burdened to find a way to medically diagnose between the ugliness of disease and the beauty of the created order. And he discovered a non-invasive total scanning way to do this, capitalizing on the fact that material objects distinguish themselves in an immaterial fashion. In doing so, he came close scientifically to what works spiritually - since we exercise our own spiritual sensitivity to discern between the beautiful and the ugly on a level of the moral, ethical, civil, and even physical.

Just like many Christians, Dr. Damadian was concerned about the increasing ugliness of sin in society. Yet, what we know to be true, just as with the contrast between good and bad tissue in MRI scans, is that God’s eternal Beauty is always available to behold in contrast to the ugly – as we gaze upon and contemplate His truth, His nature, His love, justice, and mercy, through prayer and worship and Scripture meditation. And we can be energized to a refreshing “equilibrium” level of joy and peace and all fruits of the Spirit!

- Mark Cadwallader, Creation Moments Board Chairman

Photo: Girl and MRI machine, Envato.

Permission is granted to reprint this material on the condition that it is not modified in any way and that it is attributed to Creation Moments, Inc.

Check out more from Creation Moments @creationmoments.com/

About The Author

Mark W. Cadwallader

Mark W. Cadwallader is Board Chairman of Creation Moments and has served on the Board since 1996. He holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston and has worked as an applied materials scientist and engineer in plastics, oil additives, and pollution control for 20 years. He operates his own consulting firm, providing product development and expert failure analysis among other services. Mark has been a supporter of Creation Moments since 1983 and credits the ministry for opening his faith to the unerring credibility of the Bible in all areas including science, and thus helping to transform his life. Mark has published over 100 articles and conference papers in his scientific field of expertise as well as in Creation Science and apologetics. He is a conference and seminar speaker in his field of geosynthetics and pollution control, and in Creation/Intelligent Design. He has given expert testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Hazardous Materials. Mark and his wife Susan homeschool their six children in Conroe, Texas.



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