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Being the random thoughts of a middle aged overeducated physician, father, and citizen. James M. Small MD PhD. Send me a reply to jmsmall @ mycap.org.
Monday, March 14, 2005
Science and Christianity Showcase
There is a whole raft of articles on Science and Christianity here. I'll bet they're worth reading...when I get time of course!
Thursday, March 10, 2005
Science and Christianity
I admit it, I used to believe science and religion were incompatible. As an atheist majoring in science, I thought the Church was the enemy. But then came conversion and my eyes opened. Judaism and Christianity made science possible. Don't believe it? Read on.
What do you have to believe to be a scientist? I submit that a fundamental assumption is the constancy of the universe. If you set up the same experiment, run it the same, the same results will follow. This seems totally obvious to us, and yet to most of humanity throughout most of history, this was NOT obvious.
Animists believe that the world operates at the whims of multiple gods. Your car stopped running? Demons. Your crops look good? Gods are happy. There is no such thing as cause and effect.
Look at Greek mythology (and later Roman, only the names changed.) Human-like gods on Mount Olympus played with humans like chess pieces. Yes, heroism and skill counted for something, but mostly if Apollo wanted you to fail you were toast.
Enter the Hebrews and their offspring, the Christians. One just God created the world and everything in it. Yes, of course you pray to God, but there is recognition of justice, and the unusual nature of miracles. One God is in charge.
While it did take some time, I believe that the concept that one God was running things with justice and wisdom eventually sank in and made science possible. If we really still thought that multiple gods manipulated reality to suit their moment-to-moment whims, experimental science never could have developed. Only under a constant, just, loving, consistent Father could we even conceive of modern Science.
Have there been problems? Of course. As I see it, most of them occur when human structures are threatened. We're still fallen creatures, subject to all the lusts and ambitions of our kind. Churches and their staffs don't like to lose power. We somehow lose faith if someone creates a new theory that doesn't seem to need God.
Listen, as a 50 year old PhD and physician who looks at the complex creation of God under the microscope every day, you don't have to worry that scientists will disprove His existence. Each new discovery just uncovers another layer of the wonder of His creation. Relax in your faith and recognize that his truth is strong, and that in fact knowing Him is what made our modern science possible in the first place.
What do you have to believe to be a scientist? I submit that a fundamental assumption is the constancy of the universe. If you set up the same experiment, run it the same, the same results will follow. This seems totally obvious to us, and yet to most of humanity throughout most of history, this was NOT obvious.
Animists believe that the world operates at the whims of multiple gods. Your car stopped running? Demons. Your crops look good? Gods are happy. There is no such thing as cause and effect.
Look at Greek mythology (and later Roman, only the names changed.) Human-like gods on Mount Olympus played with humans like chess pieces. Yes, heroism and skill counted for something, but mostly if Apollo wanted you to fail you were toast.
Enter the Hebrews and their offspring, the Christians. One just God created the world and everything in it. Yes, of course you pray to God, but there is recognition of justice, and the unusual nature of miracles. One God is in charge.
While it did take some time, I believe that the concept that one God was running things with justice and wisdom eventually sank in and made science possible. If we really still thought that multiple gods manipulated reality to suit their moment-to-moment whims, experimental science never could have developed. Only under a constant, just, loving, consistent Father could we even conceive of modern Science.
Have there been problems? Of course. As I see it, most of them occur when human structures are threatened. We're still fallen creatures, subject to all the lusts and ambitions of our kind. Churches and their staffs don't like to lose power. We somehow lose faith if someone creates a new theory that doesn't seem to need God.
Listen, as a 50 year old PhD and physician who looks at the complex creation of God under the microscope every day, you don't have to worry that scientists will disprove His existence. Each new discovery just uncovers another layer of the wonder of His creation. Relax in your faith and recognize that his truth is strong, and that in fact knowing Him is what made our modern science possible in the first place.
