GOD VS. SCIENCE?

Graduating and going to college (AKA, the land of free thinking) has really shown me the absolute necessity for each and every Christian to have a strong defense of the faith. Personal belief and philosophy are encouraged at all colleges, as well as a “testing of the spirits” mentality, which basically says “try everything”. And in our day and age, that only makes perfect sense, because the Bible – to many – is nothing but an old book, and God is some mythical, supernatural being that either doesn’t exist or doesn’t care.

Therefore, the world argues, why believe in something you can’t understand? And then they go on to encourage the idea that God can be anything you want him to be. Many insist that faith is just something to give people optimism in a meaningless existence.

The big thing that I’ve had thrown at me in the continuing course of my studies is the science issue in reference to belief in God. Most professors are going to push evolution as fact, despite the fact that it is even labeled as a theory, and despite the fact that Darwin himself admitted on his deathbed that he was wrong. Some teachers are more open–minded than others: some will praise a Christian for his beliefs (despite not sharing in them) while others will bash Christianity as foolhardy. Whatever their stance towards faith of any kind, non–believers will almost always push science as the perfect proof that God does not exist.

Before I dive into my argument, I want to briefly make mention of the title I’ve given this little lecture: “God vs. Science?” The question mark is purposeful, and essential I think. Consider the fact that secular humanists and atheists would consider “God vs. Science” – minus the question mark – to be a great topic of debate, throwing their weight heavily on the “side” of science. To them, science is provable, and an effective way of understanding the world around us. The scary thought is that some Christians would gloss over a title like “God vs. Science” as nothing special and simply consider it an argument heavily in favor of evolution.

This is my point: concepts of God and science absolutely do not conflict and should not be treated as though they do.

So, bearing that in mind, allow me to share my mind.

First of all, let’s start with scientific methodology. Here’s an important point of clarification: “science” in the strictest sense of the word does not necessarily include scientific processes. Let’s extrapolate. Evolution, quite literally, is not “science” in the strictest sense of the word. The scientific (empirical) method is basic: observe, hypothesize (“ideate” for those of you that have seen that stupid IBM commercial), test, and re–test. When something is observed as being strictly consistent, it is labeled a “law” – for example, Newton’s Universal Law of Gravitation and Laws of Thermodynamics. Evolution, on the other hand, is quite improvable, because there is nothing to test. You cannot test an idea. Therefore, it is not a science. It is a belief system, not unlike Christianity, because it requires a significant amount of faith to believe. Some would argue that it takes more faith to believe in evolution than God, although I would personally argue that it takes more desperation.

Radiometric dating is a method scientists use to “date” fossils of dinosaurs and other extinct creatures. The idea is to measure how long it has taken the body to decay over the years by measuring the amount of Carbon 14 that still remains in the fossil. Because nearly every living thing is carbon–based (even humans), evolutionists insist that they can measure how old a dead thing is just by how much carbon is not present in the body. Well, that would be a great method if you want to predict exactly how long it will take for a certain object to decay. Dating something that has decayed already on the other hand, is impractical, because one needs to know exactly how much Carbon 14 was in the object initially to project age. In other words, radiometric dating used to date fossils works the equation backwards: scientists try to work the formula without all the variables. And therefore, in order to date a fossil at millions of years old, they have to presume that it was millions of years old to begin with.

The point is this: scientific methodology is not infallible, even if it is an exact study. What God created, however is perfect, or was at one point. The corruption of sin has bled into everything of this world, and man’s view of “science” is not exclusive.

Now, let’s take a look at the nature of God.

To start, here’s some more food for thought: science cannot prove that God exists, not beyond a shadow of a doubt. I think a lot of Creationists give that impression by their arguments, and while they certainly can produce substantial evidence that validates Biblical records – which, in turn, bears witness to the truth of God’s Word – we will never be able to prove that God is real.

Why is this? I mean, if we could prove that God is really out there, so many people would finally repent and understand. The answer is simple: because God requires us as believers to have faith in him. If we could define God with science, then He would have the same limitations as does our universe, and therefore could not be God. The converse is also true: if we could prove God’s existence beyond a shadow of a doubt, then what need would we have of faith or belief? In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul states the following: “For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

As men, we cannot know everything, much less understand everything. Yet we as believers are called to have a mature understanding of God. We must acknowledge the fact that we will not know everything until we receive our new bodies in heaven. For the time being, it is our faith that sustains us.

I can’t help but stand amazed by these facts, even as I sit here typing. If the concept of God doesn’t blow your mind, then you don’t hold God in the type of esteem He deserves. You’ve placed Him and His abilities in a box and you think you can dictate universal morality, truth, perception, and logic based on what you want. In reality, what you’ve done is humanized God: you’ve brought Him down to man’s level – a level He so far surpasses it’s impossible to comprehend. After all, let’s remember what Paul – speaking hypothetically – said of the God we serve: “the wisdom of man is foolishness to God.” In other words, the most intelligent man living today is still a fool in the eyes of God.

The first step to gaining true understanding is that we need to admit that we can’t fully understand God. He is unfathomable.

Remember the story of Job in the Old Testament? One of Job’s friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, counseled Job in his woe. Eliphaz was a wise man in his time, and he had studied what existed of the Scriptures at that point in history. He was also Job’s senior, so therefore his status demanded respect. Eliphaz didn’t get everything correct when trying to help Job understand his situation, but he did get this part right: “He [God] performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted. He bestows rain on the earth; he sends water upon the countryside. The lowly he sets on high, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He thwarts the plans of the crafty, so that their hands achieve no success. He catches the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are swept away. Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night. He saves the needy from the sword in their mouth; he saves them from the clutches of the powerful.” Eliphaz himself is a great example for this point: he knew enough about God to draw the conclusion that God is impossible to define.

We absolutely cannot see eye–to–eye with our Lord. If we could, He would cease to be God.

You may ask, “But God gave us intelligence and the ability to reason. Why can’t we understand God, then – especially if God's creation was perfect?” In 1 Corinthians 1:20 and 21, Paul states: “Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.” In other words, we can't reason our way out of God, and we can't save ourselves from our dilemma.

We need God to enlighten us, and we need God to save us from our condition.

The Bible also says in Isaiah 53:6, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” Doesn't that mean we’re lost? We can’t understand if we’re lost, because we have no point of authority to argue from, nor do we know where we are – much less where to go. We’re confused, whether or not we admit it.

Whether you’re a believer or not, there’s a good chance you might not be too keen on that idea. “What’s the point of trying to understand God if we can’t really understand Him?” you may ask. Doesn’t it seem pointless? Well, before we draw hasty conclusions, let’s consider some other things.

Can you explain to me exactly how something as complex as the human body functions? Obviously, we’ve all got bodies, we all know that the heart pumps blood and our lungs take in oxygen. But what about all the systems and their subsystems. Lymphatic system, digestive system, reproductive system – right down to our DNA. We are complex beings, and even the most knowledgeable scientists don’t understand everything there is to know about us. Advanced researchers are baffled by the human body when comes to functions of various chromosomes in the genome. It’s only been in the last five years that significant breakthroughs have been made, and there is still so much more that we don’t understand.

The point being, we understand the basics of the body, but not the specifics. Likewise, we can understand some key things about God, even if we cannot truly put a label on Him:

God is love – (Jeremiah 31:3; Ephesians 3:14–21; 1 John 4:7–18; etc)

God is mighty (omnipotent) – (Zephaniah 3:17; Psalms 89:8; Genesis 1:1; etc)

God is merciful – (Luke 6:35, 36; Hebrews 2:17 [speaking of Christ]; Psalms 108:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4; Ephesians 2:4–7; 1 Peter 1:3, 4; etc)

God is righteous – (Psalms 9:8; 50:6; 97:2; Daniel 9:7; Romans 1:16, 17; 3:1–8; 10:1–4; etc)

And these are just a few of the things we know about God. But we have to remember that these words are merely human attributes, and God so far surpasses them that it is impossible for us to comprehend. We have but a glimpse of the nature of God, and we will never fully understand Him while we exist here on earth.

So. Getting back on track. God is not dependant on science for His existence; quite to the contrary: science is dependant on God. Without him, there are no laws, no theories, no wisdom, no understanding, no creation, no earth, no us.

Now, I want to throw out an idea that is purely Justin–ideology and not in any way Biblical truth or provable fact. Consider a magician: he does his tricks, he saws attractive women in half, he pulls rabbits out of hats, he can find coins in your ears. It’s all an illusion, right? I’m not suggesting that anything about God is an illusion (just to be clear), but why do you think a magician (at least, a good magician) doesn’t reveal how his tricks are done? Because once you’ve seen the ropes and strings and behind the scenes, the “magic” loses its appeal. You lose interest, because you know how it’s done, and usually it’s pretty simple. Again, not to insinuate that God’s power and glory are “simple”.

The point is this: perhaps God, in all his omniscience (side note: you’ll notice that the word “science” is the suffix in the word “omniscience” – thus, God is “all” science, or all–knowing; his knowledge is perfect) didn’t let on everything about himself because if we knew we would become disinterested. We would consider ourselves superior because we understand the thoughts and intentions and motivations of God. And in a way, that’s obvious already: we don’t know those things, and yet we still esteem our knowledge and understanding greater than God’s.

So let’s look at the actual definition of “science”. According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, science is defined as “1. Knowledge; knowledge of principles and causes; ascertained truth of facts. 2. Accumulated and established knowledge, which has been systematized and formulated with reference to the discovery of general truths or the operation of general laws; knowledge classified and made available in work, life, or the search for truth; comprehensive, profound, or philosophical knowledge.”

The key word in these definitions is knowledge. Knowledge is a good thing, right? That is a given. One needs only to look at the first chapter of Proverbs to find the value of knowledge:

Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

Proverbs 20:15 – “Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel.”

Proverbs 8:10 – “Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold…”

Proverbs 10:14 – “Wise men store up knowledge, but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.”

Also:

Ecclesiastes 7:12 – “Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: that wisdom preserves the life of its possessor.”

It is clear that knowledge is something we should seek. The numerous scientific schools of thought are admirable, intelligent fields in which to study, because through them we can generate further understanding of the amazing universe our great God has created. However, Scripture also seeks to reveal the fallibility of man’s understanding. 1 Corinthians 13:8 says, “Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.” In cautioning the Babylonians over their arrogance, the prophet Isaiah warned, “You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, ‘I am, and there is none besides me.’” His advice was sound: when we as finite human beings dare to assert that we know best, we are – in essence – dethroning God and positioning ourselves as supreme. This is a dangerous spot to be. Isaiah continued his warning: “Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you.”

Another point of clarification: Proverbs 2, verses 6–9 state, “For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.” The Lord gives wisdom – we don’t find it. Scientists may make discoveries and breakthroughs in their research, but we have to remember that God knew it already.

Because he created it all.

Logically, truth should lead to science and vice versa. When viewed correctly, each proves the other, and they agree completely. However, man’s idea of science does not define truth, because science and knowledge can be faulted. Why? Because man himself is flawed.

In conclusion, science cannot go against God. It can no more prove God’s existence any more than it can disprove it. This is all for a reason: God requires faith from us for an adequate, right–standing relationship with Him. If we expect science to give us all the answers, we are – in essence – making science our god. God is above our human comprehension, and just as we are admonished in Scriptures to “test the spirits”, we need to examine all scientific theory before we accept it as fact – especially if said method claims the ability to verify or deny God’s existence.