Faith versus Science

Blog Post

There has been debate about whether science can be used to prove, or more usually, disprove faith, even in trying to show that God does, or does not, exist.

In reality there is no conflict between the two, there is no versus. The two address completely different questions. Faith is about the questions ‘Who?’ and ‘Why?’. Science explores the ‘How?’. 

Unfortunately, some people read the bible in a way that they are looking for all the answers including the ‘How?’. The bible was written to show the ways that God interacts with humanity. It explains who God is in this regard and who we are. It also explains why He created us and sets out His plans for humanity.

In the creation songs in Genesis, God gives humanity responsibility to look after His creation. This responsibility would include exploring, understanding, protecting and working with it. This is where science comes in. We are learning about and therefore expanding our knowledge and ability to use, protect and work with it. The earth is a resource but needs careful management.

Science is exploration. In all aspects there is order but also complexity. The same occurs when going macro or micro, whether looking through a telescope or a microscope, there are surprises everywhere. It works by forming theories of how something happens. Others then try to undermine the theory with a more fundamental one. The longer a theory remains the more likely it is valid.

It is difficult to address truth in this way. Science is about theory not truth. Science can be done well or badly. Issues such as bias can corrupt theories. Often a review of lots of well put together experiments will give more reassurance of the conclusions.

Science is powerful when done well. It should be respected and there is no mileage in trying to undermine it by spurious interpretations of the bible. History shows the embarrassment of trying to do this but it still persists. The earth is not flat or located in the centre of the universe! The centrality is spiritual not physical, God having purpose for the humanity on this planet.

Terrible judgments have been made against scientists in the name of religion (God). There is no justification to any of them. Science has its own controls such as peer review and any challenge to it should be done in this way.

With reference to creation itself, science has gone a long way to explaining it. Evolution theory seems very solid even if more nuances need to be discovered. The study of genetics is very persuasive and shows the connections between all life and how it has evolved. Yes we all have evolved from apes, and amoebae for that matter.

From a faith viewpoint, the science has shown how over (a very long) time, God has allowed his creation to evolve and, at a set point, He has intervened and put His Spirit into the pinnacle of that creation and called it humanity (Adam and Eve in the creation songs), giving it responsibility over that creation.

The literal interpretation of the creation songs held by some people, e.g. that it took seven days, is nonsense. The bible contains many forms of language that need to be interpreted differently, not always literally. A ‘day’ in the bible can mean a (long) period. People were not, or anything else was not, created by magic. Everything, including us, comes from the same atoms and molecules.  As they are named, Adam and Eve may have been actual people and represent the first in the evolving beings that God put His Spirit.  

There is a debate about how God was, and is, involved in the creation. Some think He was behind the spark that set it off and then went off to do something else. The bible indicates that He continues to be very involved and has an ultimate purpose for it.

This does not mean that He wants to completely change His creation, but to work within it. When Jesus was challenged to change rocks into bread, it was not that he couldn’t but that it was not appropriate. Rocks have different purposes in creation from bread. His miracles worked within, not against, creation.

There are dangers interpreting the theory of evolution in terms of recent history. All humanity is equal. No section of humanity has evolved beyond others. This was the wrong thinking of the Nazis. It was probably some of the thinking behind slavery and empire.  It still is prominent now. For example Chinese leaders promote that their ancient history gives them special status. The myth is that they all have a common ancestor, the yellow emperor, a godly figure, and that makes them special. The theory of evolution requires very long periods for any significant changes. There are no significant differences between humanity. Science only shows trivial differences between all humanity, such as facial features and skin colour.

When looking at humanity, science has gone far when considering the functioning of the body. Studies of soul and spirit are more limited but some on psychology and sociology give helpful insights into how we tick. What would have needed miraculous interventions (such as restoring sight) can now be resolved by science. As well as physical there are increasingly psychological interventions that help people restore their proper mental functions. 

This progress does not exclude the need for faith. There are times when God wants to intervene in humanity. There are still illnesses without a cure. There are often considerable timescales and resources required that make the intervention unavailable. There are other reasons for interventions that go beyond the miracles or healings that fall within God’s purpose. Therefore, it is important to hear what God is wanting to do, to hear his Spirit, to speak by His Spirit in such circumstances. 

There is a tendency, when new innovations come along, to view them skeptically, to see if they fit within our world view, whether practically or spiritually, and on this basis, to decide whether they are right or wrong. This is the way to cause problems. Instead we could relax in living with, and by, the Spirit, seeing how it fits within His purposes and to look positively at the possibilities.

We can think that science is like Pandora’s box, such that, once opened, it releases something dangerous that cannot be returned again. In reality new discoveries are ‘neutral’. It is how they are used that can be helpful or harmful. They may require responsible decisions on how they are, or are not, to be used.

There is a tendency, when new innovations come along, to view them skeptically, to see if they fit within our world view, whether practically or spiritually, and on this basis, to decide whether they are right or wrong. This is the way to cause problems. Instead we should relax in living with, and by, the Spirit, seeing how it fits within His purposes and to look positively at the possibilities.

We need to be open to new possibilities and options, being prepared to embrace the new.