What About Science?

"I trust science, not an outdated religious text," is an often cited reason for rejecting the Bible. There are two assumptions behind this statement that I think are false:

1. Science is useful tool to find the truth about everything.
2. Science and the Bible are in conflict with each other.

Assumption #1 overstates the case for science. There are many truths that science is useful for, but not everything. Why was Abraham Lincoln assassinated? How can we find the answer to a question like this? Certainly we would not run experiments, record observable data, and demonstrate scientifically the reason. We would instead read documents that John Wilkes Booth and others wrote. We might look at other evidence like court records and eye witness testimony. We would study history to find the answer, not science. In fact, we cannot even know that Lincoln was shot at all if science is our only source of information to answer the question.

Similarly, we cannot answer basic spiritual questions using science. "Does God exist?" A question like this is a matter of theology or philosophy. Science is by definition limited to the study of the physical world. It is not equipped to make a case for or against the non-physical, supernatural world.

Many people reject miracles because they are "not proven scientifically." But think about that for a moment. A miracle occurs when something happens when the normal laws of nature do not operate properly. A biologist can give a natural explanation behind a pregnancy. However, if a religious text claims that a virgin conceives, we know it is referring to a miracle - something other than the only available natural explanation occurred. A scientist might claim, "A virgin birth is scientifically impossible," and they would be right. It is scientifically impossible, but does this mean it is impossible? If God can create the universe, can he not cause a virgin to conceive? Can he not reveal that this occurred through the Bible? I believe this happened because Jesus says it is so, and Jesus rose from the dead. I can trust him. You cannot prove it scientifically, but you cannot prove it wrong either. It is a truth claim that science simply isn't equipped to address.

Assumption #2 is difficult to demonstrate. The Bible does make scientific claims. Science can either verify or falsify those claims. Take, for instance, Genesis 1:1. The Bible claims that there is a beginning to the universe. Only in the last 100 years has science advanced enough to verify this claim. Many philosophers, atheists, and Eastern religions assumed that the universe has always existed. However, during the 20th century the evidence that the universe must have had a beginning steadily increased. The data observed by the Hubble telescope in the 1990s put the issue completely to rest. How could ancient writers have known this if God did not reveal it? Perhaps it was a lucky guess. However, any religious text that gets this wrong loses credibility. Science can help confirm the trustworthiness or untrustworthiness of any religious text that makes scientific claims.

But doesn't the Bible make many other scientific claims that are wrong? I don't think so. I believe that when science and the Bible seem to conflict, either the science is wrong, or our interpretation of the Bible is wrong, or both. My assumption is that the Bible is infallible, but my interpretation may be wrong or science may be wrong (it has often been wrong).

For instance, some people think that the Bible teaches that the earth is flat. Numerous places speak about the "four corners of the earth." However, this is best taken as a metaphor for the four directions on a compass. No Christian church ever believed or taught that the earth was flat. It is often believed that Columbus was trying to prove that the earth was round on his voyages. This is a myth created by Washington Irving in the early 1800s. All political and church leaders believed the earth was round from the very beginning of the church. The Bible even records that God "sits enthroned above the circle of the earth" (Isaiah 40:22). The Bible often uses metaphorical language, just like we do. We often talk about the "sunrise" or "sunset" even though we know that the earth's rotation merely makes the sun appear to rise or set. I do not know of any instance where their is a contradiction between a proper interpretation of Scripture and proper science.

But what about evolution? Many books have been written on the topic, and I can only say so much here. However, I do believe once again that either science is wrong, or our interpretation of the Bible is wrong, or both. There is no need to think the Bible is wrong.

One issue with evolution is the origin of life. Part of the claim of evolution is that life originated from nonliving matter, and that this happened through natural processes. However, this isn't really science. There is no scientific evidence for such an event. It is really just an assumption that natural processes can explain everything in our world. That is an assumption the Bible rejects.

In Darwin's day, it may have seemed feasible that simple life forms could randomly form out of nonliving matter. The problem is that since that time, our knowledge of "simple" life forms has increased dramatically. Today, we know they are complex machines. Consider this diagram of a cell membrane, the "wall" around simple living things:

This is just the cell membrane! Multiple different parts inside the cell are much more complicated and all work together to make a living organism. So where did the first living organism come from? Scientists look to find the best natural explanation. The Bible says God created it. The explanations scientists can offer are very limited. Remember, they aren't even looking for the best explanation, they are only looking for the best natural explanation. I think the biblical view of God creating life is a much more plausible explanation than anything science can come up with on the topic.

The Bible greatly encourages science. The Bible tells us that the God we worship is the creator of nature and all there is. He has given humans the unique ability to study and observe nature in a way that helps us know about God (Rom. 1:20). He has given us the instruments we need to study nature (eyes, ears, etc.) He gives people the charge to "rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky..." (Gen. 1:26). This is why many of the great scientists like Kepler, Galileo, and Newton were deeply committed Christians. God wants us to explore and understand our world. But understand that science is a discipline that can only answer certain kinds of questions. Problems come when science is viewed as the ultimate vehicle for finding truth.


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