Some Christians accept a misinterpretation of Science, that "Science teaches that there is no god."
True, there are scientists who say that Science really does teach this. But those scientists are atheists, alien to the Christian faith and thus without credibility among Christians.
Most scientists do not believe that Science teaches there is no god:
The overwhelming majority of scientists regard religion and science as separate realms of inquiry that do not contradict each other. As America's largest professional society of physicists puts it, "Scientific inquiry and religious beliefs are two distinct elements of the human experience. Attempts to present them in the same context can only lead to misunderstandings of both." Footnote 1.
National Center for Science Education, Inc., Berkeley, CA, 1995, p. 34. Quoted in http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=2227, "Sabotaging Science: Creationist Strategies in the '90's; Strategy 3: Pitting Science against Faith."
... scientific theories [deal] only with objects, events, and processes in the material world. Science has nothing to say one way or the other about the existence of God or about people's spiritual beliefs. Footnote 2.
From the web site for the PBS show, What about God, "Frequently Asked Questions" at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/faq/cat01.html#Q11.
Even that icon of atheism, Charles Darwin, did not contradict God's existence. In 1879, atheist John Fordyce wrote Darwin asking whether belief in God and Darwin's ideas were compatible. Darwin replied that it was absurd to doubt that anyone could ardently believe in God and also accept Darwin's ideas, and gave the examples of his friends, Asa Gray and Charles Kingsley. Darwin further said he had never been an atheist and should be considered neutral on the question of God's existence. Footnote 3.
| Charles Darwin, letter to John Fordyce, May 7, 1879, quoted in New York Times, December 27, 1981, paraphrased from http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2000/PSCF6-00Roberts.html, "Was Darwin a Christian?" by Michael Roberts, Vicar of Chirk, Wales UK. |
Science provides no way to prove there is no god. Science concerns itself solely with natural things, and so cannot directly measure anything spiritual, such as the existence of God.
Instead, Christians must remember that God created everything footnote 4, and thus should conclude that if any theory or law of Science really does exist, then it, too, was created by God and also proclaims his glory, right along with the rest of his creation.
| Acts 14:15, Acts 17:24, Eph 3:9, Heb 3:4. |
Rom 1:20 (ASV) For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, [even] his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse.
There is evidence of the power and divinity of God in each thing that exists, because God created it. That includes each law of the universe.
So, regarding the existence of God, it doesn't matter whether the theories of Science are right or wrong. If a theory is right, then God created it. If it's wrong, it's wrong. Either way, we still know God created everything. Science is not a threat to belief in God. Footnote 5.
| Science may be a threat to some beliefs about God, but that is a different issue. |
The Science of Cosmology deals, in part, with the origins of the universe and is taught in our schools. We sometimes get upset at this because Cosmology tries to explain things in a way that does not require the existence of God. Footnote 6.
| I believe it is illegal for our public schools to teach that Science proves there is no god. We should definitely get upset if this is happening. |
But, the Science of Geometry also tries to explain things in a way that does not require the existence of God. Neither does it teach that God created the laws of Geometry. Do we get upset about Geometry being taught in our schools? No. So, why should we get upset when some other Science is similarly taught? If we are supposed to get upset about things being taught without reference to the Creator, we would have to get upset about every single thing that a public school is allowed to teach. Footnote 7.
| Someone might say that Cosmology is different because it seems to deal with some of the same things as the Bible. Well, so does Archeology, History, Political Science, Language, Geography, the map of the Solar System, Physical Education, Nutrition, Agriculture, Law, Human Relations and Philosophy. Cosmology is not the only one of these that has ever been used or abused to say a religious belief is wrong. |
Instead of getting upset about Cosmology, or any other Science, we should teach our children that God created the universe, including all of its laws, regardless of whether they are mathematical or physical or even cosmological or biological laws. We do teach our children that if the laws of Geometry are correct, they were created by God. We do teach our children that if the Law of Gravity is correct, it was created by God. We do teach our children that if the General Theory of Relativity is correct, it was created by God. We should teach our children that if any scientific law or theory is correct, it was created by God. We should teach all of this, especially since the public schools cannot.
If our children know that God created every law of the universe, no possible law or theory will ever have any power to shake the faith of our children. Doesn't that seem like a good thing?
So why do some Christians get involved with "The Battle Between Science And The Bible?" First of all, there is really no such battle. There may be a battle between certain interpretations of Science (like the one discussed above), and certain interpretations of the Bible.
For instance, one Interpretation of the Bible is, "the Bible says Cosmology is wrong." Some people feel it is important to determine if this is a correct interpretation of the Bible, and many people feel it is correct. But because this Interpretation is not necessary for belief in God, since no Science contradicts God's existence, you may also be indifferent to it. Footnote 8.
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Some might say that we must refute Cosmology, because, if it were correct, that would mean that this Interpretation, which they assert is a correct interpretation, would be wrong about something, and then the Bible would contain an error. But that argument could just as easily show that we must refute the assertion that this Interpretation is a correct interpretation of the Bible. Either way, the Bible remains without error. Thus, that argument does not show that Cosmology needs to be refuted. Someone else might say that if Cosmology is true, then everything that exists could just be the result of mere chance. However, there is no observable difference between "mere chance" and "divine providence." So, Christians could equivalently say, "if Cosmology is true, then God created it, and so, many things are really the result of divine providence."
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Moreover, since many other people are strongly opposed to what this Interpretation says about Science, perhaps it would be wiser to avoid that controversy, especially when proclaiming the Gospel to potential converts.
Col 4:5 (ASV) Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
I suggest that proclaiming the good news of salvation is a better use of our time than disagreeing about how God made the world.
No one needs to be afraid of Science. We need, instead, to be afraid of becoming distracted from the Gospel when dealing with different interpretations regarding Science and the Bible.
2 Tim 2:14 (ASV) Of these things put them in remembrance, charging [them] in the sight of the Lord, that they strive not about words, to no profit, to the subverting of them that hear.
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1 National Center for Science Education, Inc., Berkeley, CA, 1995, p. 34. Quoted in http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=2227, "Sabotaging Science: Creationist Strategies in the '90's; Strategy 3: Pitting Science against Faith."
2 From the web site for the PBS show, What about God, "Frequently Asked Questions" at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/faq/cat01.html#Q11.
3 Charles Darwin, letter to John Fordyce, May 7, 1879, quoted in New York Times, December 27, 1981, paraphrased from http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/2000/PSCF6-00Roberts.html, "Was Darwin a Christian?" by Michael Roberts, Vicar of Chirk, Wales UK.
4 Acts 14:15, Acts 17:24, Eph 3:9, Heb 3:4.
5 Science may be a threat to some beliefs about God, but that is a different issue.
6 I believe it is illegal for our public schools to teach that Science proves there is no god. We should definitely get upset if this is happening.
7 Someone might say that Cosmology is different because it seems to deal with some of the same things as the Bible. Well, so does Archeology, History, Political Science, Language, Geography, the map of the Solar System, Physical Education, Nutrition, Agriculture, Law, Human Relations and Philosophy. Cosmology is not the only one of these that has ever been used or abused to say a religious belief is wrong.
8 Some might say that we must refute Cosmology, because, if it were correct, that would mean that this Interpretation, which they assert is a correct interpretation, would be wrong about something, and then the Bible would contain an error. But that argument could just as easily show that we must refute the assertion that this Interpretation is a correct interpretation of the Bible. Either way, the Bible remains without error. Thus, that argument does not show that Cosmology needs to be refuted.
Someone else might say that if Cosmology is true, then everything that exists could just be the result of mere chance. However, there is no observable difference between "mere chance" and "divine providence." So, Christians could equivalently say, "if Cosmology is true, then God created it, and so, many things are really the result of divine providence."
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