Down through the centuries, scientists have discovered many of our world's hidden foundations. The question is: why do science and Christianity clash so much? I mean, think about it... How am I, as a Christian, going to be able to fully appreciate all of God's creation if I don't allow myself to understand how Science enriches the understanding of God's creation? No, Science doesn't explain who God is, what Jesus did for us on the Cross, and what God expects from us. But neither does a cookbook, right? However, like a cookbook, we as Christians can use Science to comprehend and recognize the full worth of the "ingredients" of life; the very "life" that God created.
Two things come to mind as to why there has been such competition between God and Science and why man seems to believe in one and reject the other.
- The scientific explanations are not compatible with Christians' belief that God created the Universe. Due to this, Christians have come to doubt (and even so far as to reject) Science because they believe that scientific explanations have replaced the belief in God as our Creator.
- Scientist and Christians down through the centuries have come to believe that they have to choose either one or the other. That is, they have to choose between God or Science. If Christians truly believe that the have to make a choice, they would not only have to reject Science but also what Science has learned about God's creation; God's "ingredients" of life. If scientist truly believe they have to make a choice (aside from the idea that they are choosing they way out of salvation), they would have to continuously come up with theories of how the Universe originated (theories that cannot be accepted into God creative process) and argument of how it was originated without involving a Creator or Designer (e.g. The Theory of Evolution and The Big Bang Theory).
But here's the good news, my friends. We don't have to make a choice. We SHOULDN'T have to make a choice. Science and Christianity don't have to be in competition with each other. We seem to know instinctively that ultimate truth is somehow related to God as our Creator. In fact, it is interesting that people who deny the existence of God (i.e. secular humanists) are the same ones who say that there is no absolute truth and that everything is relative (which I mentioned in my article: "What is Truth?"). But something deep within us says this is not so; something tells us that God not only exists but that He holds the key to "truth." And yet we also can't deny Science. If Science can truly magnify out acknowledgement of God's creation, why would we reject or contradict that? Let's look at our "cookbook" example again. If you tasted a cake that you thought was delicious and you wanted to make it yourself, wouldn't you want the recipe? And if you did, in order to be able to make that cake, wouldn't that mean that you would need the ingredients? Science gives us those recipes of God's creations. Science gives us all of the individual "ingredients of life."
Now, generally, when the idea that God and Science do not have to be in competition with each other, at least, two questions arise. First, is science ever wrong? And second, is religion ever wrong? People that ask these two questions believe that if either science or religion are ever wrong, two conclusions can be made. First, if one is ever wrong, then the other would have to be right. And second, if either science or religion are ever wrong, then the very belief system I am writing about proven false. So, let's examine these two questions and answer them the best way we can.
So, what about science? Is science ever wrong? Science is: a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the Universe. The scientific methods for gaining knowledge is by testing hypotheses (educated guesses) to develop theories (hypotheses that have stood the test of time) through evaluation by experiments to answer questions about the universe that can be observed and measured. However, all scientific knowledge is subject to later refinement, and even outright rejection, in the face of additional evidence. As I've said many times before, in order for a theory to BE a theory, it has to able to be refuted at some point in time. Some things that we knew of as scientific knowledge five or six centuries ago that we know as false today. And perhaps there are some things we know of as scientific knowledge today will to disproved five or six centuries from now. So, it's not the science itself that's wrong, it is the scientists; it is the individual hypotheses and theories that are wrong. Asking the question: "Is science ever wrong?" is like asking the question: "Are computers smart?" The answer to that would be: the computers themselves are not smart, they are only as smart as the person running them. Let's say someone who didn't know much about computers was using a computer and wasn't getting anywhere. Then, someone knows a lot about computers comes along and helps that individual by getting on the computer and finds out what the other person needed to do. Now, the computer itself didn't just get smarter all of the sudden when second person got on there. Not per sé. But if one were to ask: "How much smarter did the computer become?" The answer would be: it only became as smart as the second individual who was running it. What it all boils down is that computers are neither smart nor stupid. So, in essence, science is neither wrong, nor right. Science (from the Latin word scientia, meaning "knowledge") is a word coined by man, is an enterprise established by man, and is one that is managed and influenced by man. But remember (as mentioned earlier), theories formulated by man are always subject to later refinement, and even outright rejection, in the face of additional evidence, for nothing of man can be perfect.
Now, the next question. Is religion ever wrong? Most people would think that this is asking: "Is believing in God ever wrong?" But guess what? Those two questions are not the same thing? Still, before attempting to answer the question: "Is religion ever wrong?", let me first define it. Religion is: is an organized collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, moral values. Notice that I did not mention a belief in "God or gods." Why? It is estimated that there are roughly 4,200 religions in the world. Are a lot of those religions in the world that have nothing to do with the belief in God, a god, gods, or goddesses. So, you can consider yourself religious and have nothing to do with a church whatsoever or even believe in God or any gods. So, due to the diversity of religion, "a belief in God" was an insufficient definition. Taoism is a religion. HHinduism and Buddism are religions. Confucianism, Shinto, Islam, and Jainism are religions. Occults such as Anthroposophy, Theosophy, Thelema, and Wicca are religions. In a 2012 poll, 59% of the world's populations considered themselves "religious." But due to all the religions in the world, calling yourself religious wouldn't be saying much a whole lot. But there is a difference between religion and Christianity. Billy Graham once quoted : "Religion is man searching for God, Christianity is God searching for man" Think about it... What is religion again? It is "an organized collection of belief systems, cultural systems, and world views." Does it say that it relates humanity to God, Jesus, grace, or salvation? No! What it does relate humanity to is "spirituality and, sometimes, moral values." Spirituality is: regard for one's inner-peace as opposed to material or worldly interests. Moral Values are: what's right and wrong, and applying it uniformly(e.g. common sense, fairness, open-mindedness, careful consideration , recognizing truth when you see, hear, or read it). If you've studied the World's Religions like I have, will notice the one thing the makes Christianity so unique. In Christianity, only Jesus Christ, the Son of God, can save you. In Christianity, having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will give you grace and salvation, if we personally accept it. In all of the other religions, man saves himself. You see, religion is man's own way of trying to get to God and Heaven. Religion is man's way of trying to EARN his or her way to Heaven through their good works and character. Religion is man's way of saying: "I'm a good person and I can make to Heaven on my own, if I stay a good person." This, in turn, would raise the question: "Is it bad to be a 'good person'?" No! Can you be religious and not be a good person? Of course! Can you not be religious and be a good person? Of course! But religion is the creation of man and is not the intention or design of God. So, what can we conclude? Just like science, religion is neither wrong nor right. It is an establishment of man and, as mentioned, nothing of man can be perfect.
So, what do we know so far?
- Christians can fully appreciate all of God's creation if they themselves are to understand how Science enriches the understanding of God's creation. Like a cookbook, we as Christians can use Science to comprehend and recognize the full worth of the "ingredients of Life."
- Due to the scientific explanations not compatible with Christians' belief that God created the Universe, Christians have come to doubt (and even so far as to reject) Science because they that scientific explanations have replaced the belief in God as our Creator.
- Scientist and Christians down through the centuries have come to believe that they have to choose either God or science. However, God and Science do not have to be in competition. Science gives us those recipes of God's creations. Science gives us all of the individual "ingredients of life."
- Although this would raise the question: "Is either science or religion ever wrong?", what we would find after careful examination is that science and religion are neither wrong nor right.
It's pretty amazing, isn't it? Science being the "cookbooks" of all of God creation; every discipline of science being a "recipe" of how life is sustained; each and every "cookbook" describing how life is made, how life continues, and how life is reproduced. Science is the "cookbooks" that reveal the "ingredients of life." Let's give a few subjects, just to give some examples.
CHEMISTRY:
Let's start off small, shall we? Chemistry is: the study of composition, properties, and reactions to substances. Now, we know and now understand the everything is made of incalculable and invisible elements called: atoms. Atoms really do have an interesting history. You see, the name "atom" comes from the Greek ἄτομος (atomos, "indivisible") from (a-, "not") and (temnō, "I cut"), which means "uncuttable" or "indivisible", something that cannot be divided further. The concept of atoms as an indivisible component of matter was first proposed by early Indian and Greek philosophers. The atom is basic unit of matter (mass). But then, in the 18th and 19th centuries, chemists provided a physical basis for this idea by showing that certain substances could not be further broken down by chemical methods, and they applied the ancient philosophical name of "atom" to the chemical entity. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, physicists discovered subatomic components and structure inside the atom, thereby demonstrating that the chemical "atom" WAS divisible and that the name might not be appropriate. However, it was retained. Still, the atom is composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. The protons and neutrons (which are considered as composite particles called hadrons) are composed of quarks. These quarks are bound together by gluons. A group of atoms can remain bound to each other and chemical bonds based on the same force, forming what we know of as a molecule, which are electrically neutral and held together by covalent chemical bonds. They can exist by itself and retain all of its chemical properties. Molecules can vary greatly in size and complexity. Density is the amount of matter in a given space. The denser the molecule, the more tightly they are pack. So, in a gas, the density of molecules is generally less than in a liquid or solid of the same chemical compound, and they move even more freely. Molecules are always in motion. So, a specific compound in a given state (solid, liquid, or gas) depends on temperature and pressure. Temperature is the measure of average of kinetic energy. Pressure is a force given on an area of a substance. Changes to both temperature and pressure can speed up or slow down the movement of atoms in a substance (i.e. the movement of average of kinetic energy). So, you see, the atom is the basic unit of matter (the substance) and the temperature (heat) and pressure (force) of a substance as a consequence of its atomic, molecular or aggregate structure.are types of energy. And as we know, life itself is matter and energy. The two main ingredients of the universe are matter and energy.
BIOLOGY:
So, let's go just a bit larger, okay? First of all, what is Biology? Well, Biology is: a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy (classification of organisms into groups based on similarities of structure or origin). So, let's go a lot larger than atoms, okay? Inside of our bodies are this living organisms that we call: Cells. Cells are the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing and are often called: "The Building Blocks of Life." But what are they? How do you define cells? Well, you can define them in three ways. First, they are the structural, functional and biological unit of all organisms. Second, they are autonomous self-replicating units that may exist as functional independent unit of life. And third, they are membrane-bound structures containing biomolecules (e.g. nucleic acids, proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides). It is estimated that our bodies are made of anywhere from 10 to 100 trillion cells. Like the human body, cells are like a tiny factories. Most cells have a control center that what to do and when. Some cells carry messages from the brain to various part of the body. Others help muscles make their own parts move. There are also cells that keep making new blood and sill work hard defending the body injury and illness. All these cells work together us and all living organisms alive and health. Isn't it amazing how made it to where everybody of a living organism (no matter how small) has some sort of importance? Just like our individual personalities, each cell and body part is unique in its own special way. None of their jobs lack any significance or value.
ASTRONOMY:
Now, let's look at things macrosopically, shall well? Look at where our Earth is in the Solar System compared to the other planets. It is in the perfect distance from the sun to have liquid water on its surface (i.e. 93 million miles, equaling out to one Astronomical Unit or AU). In fact, planetary scientists such as astronomers and astrobiologists say that the Earth is in a place nicknamed: "The Goldilocks Zone." Look at how the Earth never strays too far from the optimal distance to make the planet's temperature stable. Look at all of the suitable conditions for life to survive. There's a hot iron core inside the Earth and it has a solid surface. Look at the the primary gases that make up our atmosphere that are needed for biochemical functioning (i.e. 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 0.9% Argon, and 0.1% Carbon Dioxide). Look at the minerals that grow plants and trees and other autotrophic organisms, which use the sunlight to produce carbohydrates and sugar from carbon dioxide and water by using chlorophyll-containing cells (i.e. Photosynthesis). Look how the atmospheric pressure is prefect for habitable life (as well as maintaining liquid water on the surface). Look how The Ozone Layer filters the sun's harsh ultraviolet rays. Look at how the Earth is is largely protected from the solar wind (which is a stream of energetic charged particles emanating from the Sun) by its magnetic field, which deflects most of the charged particles. Everything we need (including the planet's natural resources) to sustain life are present on the Earth. Without ANY of these conditions, life would not be possible. It we can God for that because we are in the perfect place in the Solar System from our sun.
My friends, Christianity and Science do not have to be rivals. Christianity and Science need not vie one another do to theories of man. Why should there be proof of right or wrong for either of them? Honestly, if you truly want to go into a career where everything is based on proof, go into law enforcement or become a lawyer. Trust me, everything is based on proof in those lines of businesses. God created the Universe and made man into His image. Scientists gain knowledge by testing hypotheses to develop theories through evaluation by experiments to answer questions about God's creation that are observed and measured. Christians need no proof or tests for anything they believe. With Christians, it not about proof, it's about faith. So, if I may use my "cookbook" analogy one more time... God is the "chef" of the universe and even life itself. Scientist are the ones who discover the ingredients to God's creation (as they down through the centuries). All of the Science books we read are the cookbooks that reveal the recipes of God's creation. And Christians such as myself? Well, we can sit down and enjoy a delicious cake without having to know the recipe. We know that it was made by a master chef. We know that just the correct ingredients and the right amount of them are in there, but we can sit and enjoy that delicious cake without knowing how it was made. We don't appreciate the chef any less by not asking for the recipe. But trust someone who studies science as a hobby, knowing the recipe to that delicious cake will know debase our appreciation of it. It'll enhance it. No, it will not improve the quality of that delicious cake. But when we assess the value of the recipe, it's value will intensify because we will know that every single ingredient in that recipe has it''s own unique importance. God's creation is the same way. From the nucleus of an atom to the vastness of the cosmos, each and every "ingredient of life" is important. When I think of how God's creation can inspire awe, admiration, and wonder, I think to myself: "Wow! What a 'delicious cake' life can be."
"This most beautiful system of the sun, planets and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being." -- Issac Newton
"The more I study science, the more I believe in God." -- Albert Einstein
"A little science estranges a man from God. A lot of science brings him back." -- Francis Bacon
"If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God." -- Lord William Kelvin
"The significance and joy in my science comes in those occasional moments of discovering something new and saying to myself, 'So that's how God did it.' My goal is to understand a little corner of God's plan." -- Henry "Fritz" Schaefer
"Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." -- Isaiah 64:4
"However, as it is written: 'What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived'— the things God has prepared for those who love him— these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God'." -- 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
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