science & faith

Here's one that not many people like to discuss. This may be one stumbling block for many Christians and also those who are considering the impact of the gospel on their lives.

It's been said before that science and religion aren't contradictory, they go hand in hand, one natural, and one supernatural. I remember being told this in my first biology lecture at uni: "Here we don't discriminate against any religion; science and religion may co-exist." But can it? They say this, yet none of my lecturers for one second doubted the theory of evolution (as an example). So are they just being politically correct, or is there an actual basis for what they are saying?

Famous astrophysicist and cosmologist Carl Sagan summed up science to its most basic foundations.

"Science is not perfect. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything.

It has two rules:

1) There are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless.

2) Whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised."

You would agree most of the public do not study or understand the nature of science at this level. It is sad, therefore, that scientists in the public light tend to misinform us about the nature of their work. The most famous and renowned scientists in the world continually claim to "disprove" or to "prove". In its basest form, science cannot prove or disprove, it is only a tool used to gather evidence for or against hypotheses, and further on, theories.

So how would you attempt to "disprove" God? I've heard people do it by logic. I daresay flawed logic. Most people have not carefully studied the Bible and learned enough about God to understand Him fully. Even the strongest Christians cannot imagine understanding God to the full extent. I've heard people do it mathematically. I'm not sure how, but I'm pretty sure the God of this world isn't bottled down into a mathematical formula. Just as we are unpredictable with our emotions, the God who's image we are made in also has emotions, and this essence cannot be tied down to a mathematical formula. Whatever way we try to "disprove" God is a futile attempt.

For it is written:

"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."

Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

1 Corinthians 1:19-21

So if what all the atheists are saying is false, why do they have so much to say about it? Why don't the Christians just step in, we know that we have evidence, and we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we are right. Well the answer is humility. As still sinful humans, our judgment can be rash, it can be easily manipulated. We must not engage in arguments of any kind for this was not the way of Jesus. Even when Jesus rebuked what the pharisees were saying, he had the right - he was God. It is foolishness to fall into the trap of arguing, because arguing is futile. The reason we believed in the first place is because the Lord revealed it to us with his Word and his Spirit.

The god of this age has blinded the mind of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2 Corinthians 4:4

You see I have not attempted to argue the claims of evolution (again, as an example) because I know that it is futile, and I know that I cannot be sure that I have the discipline to do so in absolute, complete lovingness. One thing I am sure of: God will only reveal himself through his Word and his Holy Spirit. However, whenever someone does ask me for evidence for creation, I will point to Jesus. Jesus is the centre of all hope, all truth and all love. There is more evidence for Jesus and his ministry than there is for evolution or any other claim made by this world. And everyday that we keep fighting the good fight, we continue to be witnesses to his ministry.

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This post is named after a song by The Script