Science and the Bible
For in-depth answers, read the many books written on this
subject. For the many that like short, pithy responses, I will try to
contribute a little.
I love science, for true science is forever discovering the
marvels of the world we live in. For example I have just read how the human eye
works. It is a mind boggling set of chemical reactions, operating to precise
mathematical and mechanical order. So complex, yet it works so well. As one scientist
put it – ‘how could it work without all the intricacies in place’
One of the greatest discoveries of science is the finding and
decoding of DNA. The single human cell has about 3 billion bits of information
to make the human body function. Try reading ‘The language of God’ – a book
about the decoding of the human gene.
John McDonald of Georgia University has written “ The result
of the last twenty years of research on the genetic basis of adaption has led
us to a great Darwinian paradox. Those genes that are obviously variable within
natural populations do not seem to be the basis of major adaptive changes,
while those genes that seemingly constitute the foundation of many, if not most
adaptive changes are not variable within natural populations”
You may need to read that thrice to get the significance. It
all tallies with the Bible order of God creating distinctive species and
allowing change within the species, (eg different sizes of horses), yet an
inbuilt mechanism to prevent changes across the species.
The wonder of science is ‘trying to imagine how all this
minute complexity and celestial grandeur came into existence’. Is it the result of a ‘mindless accident’? Reasonable thought says that design has a
designer. We call that being God - and
oh how wise he must be! We do well to
marvel at the flower- it’s colour, design, fragrance, reproductive mechanics
etc, but let us not fail to look up and worship the creator of such beauty, symmetry,
scent etc.
I fear that many have missed the genius of the God of all
wisdom by emphasizing ‘ God just said it, and it happened’. Hebrews 1.2 has a beautiful phrase “by whom
He created the world” or translated differently “By whom he designed the ages”.
He was the architect, the engineer, the draftsman, the builder, the
inspector of it all – grand and
small! Upon inspection it was originally
“very good”.
It would be profitable to pursue the ongoing discoveries of
science to show the marvels of God’s handiwork (not ‘mother nature’ please) ,
but the Bible compass points us to a purpose. As mentioned in the last article
(Logos), the universe has been give order, functionality and purpose. A bird expresses the glory of the creator by
being a bird – its colours, its flight ability, its song, etc. Humankind has
been endowed with something more than animalistic genius. The human brain is perhaps
the last frontier of scientific discovery, and I was interested to notice ( on
the internet!) a suggestion by scientists that when the body dies, the self consciousness
goes to another universe!! I am watching closely such developments, because the
Bible has been saying that for years ( i.e. heaven).
So what is the purpose of mankind? My first answer may seem unusual - ‘ to
connect the natural with the spiritual’.
Angels (good or bad) are spiritual. Animals are natural. ( not
spiritual). According to the Bible introduction, God as a spirit communicated
with man, who was natural. This is the higher purpose for humans – to connect
with the maker, designer, sustainer of it all. It seems that all tribes of the
earth have tried in one way or another to connect with a being greater than themselves. It is
interesting to watch the present humanity going in different ways – some go
lower than animals and live for lust. Others apply rigorous disciplines to
connect with the spirits portrayed as idols. Western society is obsessed with
the idol of ‘self’ self-love, self-pleasing,
selfish, self-gratification. The question of God is still so relevant ----- “Where
are you?”
When Jesus Christ appeared, the question that confronted the
people was this -- was this man really
connected with the unseen God???? Was
he really what man was meant to be - the
connection between the spirit world and the natural? The Bible answer is YES. But more, His
purpose was to restore the connection, the very purpose for which we were made,
for us to connect with God.
Could I lift the horizon of your thinking above the dazzle of created things, to honour God for who he is, what he has made, for himself revealed in Jesus Christ the Lord...-- to love HIM , to trust HIM , to serve HIM forever
How blessed to know HIM !!!!!!!!! comments welcome johnmckee@internode.on.net
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