Doubt 5 - Does Science Disprove Christianity?
Richard Dawkins is an outspoken critic of Christian faith, and he argues that you cannot be an intelligent scientific thinker and still hold religious beliefs. This is a major stumbling block for many as popular teaching in schools is that we evolved from lower forms of life, supposedly supported by science, and a very naturalistic worldview becomes the norm. How can the biblical view coincide with this?
The slow movement of some toward this view has been a long time coming. During what is called the “enlightenment” years (17th/18th centuries), or some call it the “age of reason,” some began to believe that miracles cannot be reconciled with this more modern and rational view of the world. So biblical stories of miracles (creation, the flood of Noah, the crossing of the Red Sea, the miracles of Ellijah and Elisha, and those of Jesus and his apostles) surely are not reliable. But it is one thing to say that science is only geared to test for natural causes, and another to say that only natural causes exist. Maybe natural cause is all science can address, but that does not prove there can be no other cause.
As we’ve stated before, all belief systems involve faith. Scientists have faith that what they test determines all causes, even though multiple things interfere with such a conclusion, and they constantly are revising their theories. Belief in the God of the Bible, who has shown himself through various miracles in history, involves faith too. But those miracles were part of the proof he provides, witnessed by many, proving he can go beyond the natural. And doesn’t that make sense? It’s been said that if we would only believe the first words of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” then all other things of God in the Bible become not only possible, but likely.
This is a deep subject with many pieces to it, not thoroughly explored in this one-page article, but consider a few thoughts. Scientists make fun of the story of Noah’s ark and a worldwide flood. How could such a thing be possible, they ask? Again, a God who created the universe surely has the power and ability to manage such a thing. We know that a huge percentage of the world is made up of water, not only in the oceans, lakes, and rivers, but also underground. Genesis 7 tells us, “On that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened, and rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” All the waters were unleashed. Once the world was covered, once the rain stopped, we are told that “the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days” (7:24). And then they started to descend back to their sources (some underground), creating the oceans and seas, mountains, rivers and underground reservoirs we’ve had since. Was the Grand Canyon created over millions of years by the Colorado River slowly eating away at rock? (Interestingly, rivers flow downhill, yet scientists would have us believe the Colorado River once flowed on top of what would become a canyon [uphill initially].) Or, was the Grand Canyon formed by rushing waters over a short period of time as they descended after the flood, the force eating through rock? We find fossils of fish embedded in rock on mountain tops. How did that happen? A worldwide flood might explain it. This is just one example of how evidence lends itself to the biblical account. Many scientists agree!
Those of faith in the God of the Bible can start with “In the beginning” or they can rely on the ultimate proof by miracle, the resurrection of Jesus Christ! As Paul later says, this was not done in a corner (Acts 26:26). It’s all a matter of evidence that supports our faith. Christianity has plenty. And true science does not disagree with the Bible.
Cross Point: The resurrected Christ appeared to Peter, to the twelve, then he appeared to more than five hundred at one time, most of whom are still alive… (I Cor. 15:3-8). God provides evidence to base our faith on.
The slow movement of some toward this view has been a long time coming. During what is called the “enlightenment” years (17th/18th centuries), or some call it the “age of reason,” some began to believe that miracles cannot be reconciled with this more modern and rational view of the world. So biblical stories of miracles (creation, the flood of Noah, the crossing of the Red Sea, the miracles of Ellijah and Elisha, and those of Jesus and his apostles) surely are not reliable. But it is one thing to say that science is only geared to test for natural causes, and another to say that only natural causes exist. Maybe natural cause is all science can address, but that does not prove there can be no other cause.
As we’ve stated before, all belief systems involve faith. Scientists have faith that what they test determines all causes, even though multiple things interfere with such a conclusion, and they constantly are revising their theories. Belief in the God of the Bible, who has shown himself through various miracles in history, involves faith too. But those miracles were part of the proof he provides, witnessed by many, proving he can go beyond the natural. And doesn’t that make sense? It’s been said that if we would only believe the first words of the Bible, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” then all other things of God in the Bible become not only possible, but likely.
This is a deep subject with many pieces to it, not thoroughly explored in this one-page article, but consider a few thoughts. Scientists make fun of the story of Noah’s ark and a worldwide flood. How could such a thing be possible, they ask? Again, a God who created the universe surely has the power and ability to manage such a thing. We know that a huge percentage of the world is made up of water, not only in the oceans, lakes, and rivers, but also underground. Genesis 7 tells us, “On that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened, and rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.” All the waters were unleashed. Once the world was covered, once the rain stopped, we are told that “the waters prevailed on the earth 150 days” (7:24). And then they started to descend back to their sources (some underground), creating the oceans and seas, mountains, rivers and underground reservoirs we’ve had since. Was the Grand Canyon created over millions of years by the Colorado River slowly eating away at rock? (Interestingly, rivers flow downhill, yet scientists would have us believe the Colorado River once flowed on top of what would become a canyon [uphill initially].) Or, was the Grand Canyon formed by rushing waters over a short period of time as they descended after the flood, the force eating through rock? We find fossils of fish embedded in rock on mountain tops. How did that happen? A worldwide flood might explain it. This is just one example of how evidence lends itself to the biblical account. Many scientists agree!
Those of faith in the God of the Bible can start with “In the beginning” or they can rely on the ultimate proof by miracle, the resurrection of Jesus Christ! As Paul later says, this was not done in a corner (Acts 26:26). It’s all a matter of evidence that supports our faith. Christianity has plenty. And true science does not disagree with the Bible.
Cross Point: The resurrected Christ appeared to Peter, to the twelve, then he appeared to more than five hundred at one time, most of whom are still alive… (I Cor. 15:3-8). God provides evidence to base our faith on.
Posted in Cross Points