Has science uncovered proof of God? A mathematician's computer has discovered a hidden code in the Bible. True believers claim divine inspiration - the code predicts events thousands of years after the Bible was written - from the moon landing to Yitzak Rabin's murder. But critics call it New Age bunk. It's Religion in the Scientific Age in this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge.

SEGMENT 1

Michael Drosnin tells Steve Paulson about "The Bible Code." Using a computer to scan the Bible, adherents of the Code claim to have found messages and predictions imbedded in the text. Drosnin is a former reporter for the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, and the author of "The Bible Code." Also, Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine and author of "Why People Believe Weird Things," tells Jim Fleming that the Bible Code is bunk, doesn't predict anything and only proves that people find patterns everywhere.

SEGMENT 2:

Historian James Gilbert is the author of "Redeeming Culture: American Religion in an Age of Science." He tells Steve Paulson that religious belief is very persistent and that science has battled religion throughout the twentieth century.

SEGMENT 3:

Barbara Wilson was brought up as a Christian Scientist. She tells Anne Strainchamps what that was like, and why her faith did not survive her mother's illness and death from breast cancer. Wilson is the author of "Blue Windows: A Christian Science Childhood."

Distribution dates:

• week of 07/13/97 - hour 2