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science and faith

the other day i was speaking with a good friend about christianity, and how a relationship with jesus christ can change a life.  this guy has been a good friend for some time, and we have talked about "religion" and christianity for a number of years.  in order for this to have meaning you will need to know that my good friend is not a believer.  (now for some this is hard to grasp, after all, since i am a pastor i must only have believing friends - not true at all.  after all, who are you going to share the gospel with if everyone you know is a believer?  anyway, that's for another article.) over that time he has found many different reasons why he can not believe, and for each reason i try to explain another point of view.  this time was no different - in his question and my reply.  i do think he is starting to come to an understanding.  this time his reason not to believe was centered on science and faith and the whole "we live in a science age" thing.  you know, his argument was - "since christianity was founded in a pre-science age and we now live in a scientific age, isn't christianity out of date?"  i believe that depends on how one defines their life and how one defines science.

science does not define life, it interoperates it at a certain level, but it can not define life.  "isms" make poor definers of life and the direction we walk.  no "ism" has ever successfully defined how we live life.  i remember hearing a joke about a scientist who, upon death, stood before God and told God he did not need to be there because he could do what God did and create life.  God agreed, if he could create life with no help from God, God would allow him into heaven, no questions asked.  the scientist went to earth and picked up some dirt and some water.  upon his returned, he looked at God and said, "ready?"  to which God said, "wait a second - my dirt?  my water?"  science can not create life, science can only distort what God has already created.  to make a new sheep, one must start with a sheep; to make a new human, one must start with a human.  living in a scientific age does not mean we do not need to know God, and the God of scripture, it means we need to know God even more.

while we think, because of all our scientific knowledge we have out-frown the "primitive" science of scripture we need to know this - the scriptures are not a science book.  the bible is not a book of science, or math, or geography - it is a book of spiritual develop of God's people in relationship with God.  it can be seen as a "history" book, given the past it speaks of, but never a science book.

the study of science is amazing and wonderful, and while science has given us some life advances, it has not done a great deal for humanity.  while science speaks of better crops and higher yields, people all over the planet are starving; while science speaks of great medical advances, people in third world countries do not have the medication to fight simple infections; while science speaks of increasing the life span of humans; it has done nothing to increase the standard of that life.  science may have value and a place in our world, but it is not the end all to end all.  science has become the new "house of greed."  

many people see us living in an "age of science."  but i do not.  today, i see people looking past science and into the heart of spirituality.  people know science has it's place, but it in no way controls our life.  the 21st century is not a age of science, it is the "age of spirituality."  when we get drawn into a false debate over science and faith, we get drawn into a debate a great many people are past.  my friend, while seeking an understanding of God, is like most people - he finds reasons not to believe.  but i love him and desire he know who God is, so i take the time to talk and listen - he will eventually find ways to believe.

blessings,

pastor john

John O’Keefe is the founder of www.ginkworld.net.  John sees a desperate need for the church as a whole to change and reach a new people for Christ.  He is straightforward, honest and calls it the way it he sees it.  John is a graduate of Drew and has been a Senior Pastor and Church Planter