On an earlier post I came out for a belief in evangelical faith and evolution. Of course I know nothing about origins myself, but made my decision on the basis of what I was reading from others.
Today I want to share a new web site and blog from a renowned, well respected scientist who is also a Christian evangelical, Francis Collins. RJS, herself a fine scientist and professor, having written many interesting, helpful posts on Jesus Creed, introduced both the blog and the website. I want to learn all I can from both, having found Francis Collins' book, The Language of God, both interesting and compelling.
While Christians, especially here in the United States are going to disagree on origins for some time to come, I think it is good to see other options which still hold to Scripture as the word of God with a commitment to the orthodox Christian faith.
My interest in this is due both to my concern for people unnecessarily losing their faith when seeing the scientific evidence for an old earth and universe, and for evolution. And just because I like to see and try to understand what people have studied and observed, and are thinking. A reading true to Scripture is not at odds with mainstream science. The problem in mainstream science is when it adheres to a naturalistic bias which not only rules out the possibility of something beyond what can be scientifically observed, but lets their science be impacted by that in a way that actually hurts their work. Of course, again, I take this from second hand reading from scientists. Theologians committed to the faith and Scripture are beginning to work on this, alongside such scientists.
I know this is a heavy, controversial subject, and I tend to shy away from controversy, unless I think it serves an important purpose. And in this case, I believe it does.
What would you like to say on this? Anything at all. Some of the most intelligent (more so than I) and committed Christians I know disagree with me on this. But I welcome anyone's thoughts.
Showing posts with label faith and science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith and science. Show all posts
Monday, May 04, 2009
Monday, February 02, 2009
live and think widely
Of course we are to be on the narrow way to which Jesus refers. This is the way of Jesus, the way of following him, the way of the Lord for God's people, the way of life as opposed to the way of death.
What I'm referring to here is our need as those in Jesus, in our own differing ways, to get out into God's wide world. Not only as a witness, but also as those who get to know others and better understand their culture and thinking. Only in that way can we be those who like Paul endeavor to be all things to all people so that we can see some of them come to salvation in Christ.
I'm also referring to our need to appreciate what we can learn from others, including nonChristians and really everyone. Of course there are those whose words can be destructive in misleading others away from faith; we need to be on guard for ourselves and others. We certainly need discernment in all things.
But there is much we can learn from others, while remaining in the word and in prayer and in fellowship with God's people at all times. I am sorry for the great fear Christians have over science. I was told not long ago by a good, intelligent believer as I marveled over the stars that scientists can know nothing about them.
Granted, we do find scientists who say very unscientific things, and write unscientific books. And to be fair any good Christian scientist, this especially evident in particular fields, will be influenced in their work by their faith. However Christians need to look at data for themselves and make up their own minds. God has not given us the world of creation, or nature to contradict his word, Scripture. Both need to be studied for themselves. I find such study fascinating, and I'm thankful for those Christians who do not run with fear from such study, but learn much in these fields from which the rest of us can draw knowledge.
We need to be those who keep asking questions, intent on learning more about God's wonderful world, as well as about what is going on in the world. We as individuals will take this in and process it differently. But only as we keep on reading or learning in some way will we keep on growing. Of course some of you will read a lot of fiction and poetry. Others of us will read other things. I especially appreciate learning from other Christians who have been able to study with depth into different areas. Reading from them, I can gain some good insights into God's world and life in it. Learning to see things in a better light myself. Of course while remaining in Scripture ourselves, and in prayer, as well as in fellowship with God's people (a good repetition).
What other thoughts might you add to this? Any objections?
What I'm referring to here is our need as those in Jesus, in our own differing ways, to get out into God's wide world. Not only as a witness, but also as those who get to know others and better understand their culture and thinking. Only in that way can we be those who like Paul endeavor to be all things to all people so that we can see some of them come to salvation in Christ.
I'm also referring to our need to appreciate what we can learn from others, including nonChristians and really everyone. Of course there are those whose words can be destructive in misleading others away from faith; we need to be on guard for ourselves and others. We certainly need discernment in all things.
But there is much we can learn from others, while remaining in the word and in prayer and in fellowship with God's people at all times. I am sorry for the great fear Christians have over science. I was told not long ago by a good, intelligent believer as I marveled over the stars that scientists can know nothing about them.
Granted, we do find scientists who say very unscientific things, and write unscientific books. And to be fair any good Christian scientist, this especially evident in particular fields, will be influenced in their work by their faith. However Christians need to look at data for themselves and make up their own minds. God has not given us the world of creation, or nature to contradict his word, Scripture. Both need to be studied for themselves. I find such study fascinating, and I'm thankful for those Christians who do not run with fear from such study, but learn much in these fields from which the rest of us can draw knowledge.
We need to be those who keep asking questions, intent on learning more about God's wonderful world, as well as about what is going on in the world. We as individuals will take this in and process it differently. But only as we keep on reading or learning in some way will we keep on growing. Of course some of you will read a lot of fiction and poetry. Others of us will read other things. I especially appreciate learning from other Christians who have been able to study with depth into different areas. Reading from them, I can gain some good insights into God's world and life in it. Learning to see things in a better light myself. Of course while remaining in Scripture ourselves, and in prayer, as well as in fellowship with God's people (a good repetition).
What other thoughts might you add to this? Any objections?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
creation and evolution
I am reading up on creation and evolution. Normally I avoid divisive issues, but I think the evidence for a very old earth and an older universe is compelling and irrefutable, and that the evidence for evolution is nearly as compelling to the point that we can hold both to be true. I continue to read on this, so I'm in a learning mode right now.
God has given us two great books to read: nature and Scripture. Or in the words of Deborah B. & Loren D. Haarsma, from their helpful book, Origins: A Reformed Look at Creation, Design, & Evolution, from God's world and from God's Word. We need to read them both and let them both speak for themselves, never letting one change the other. And we need to remember that the problem lies in us- in our lack of understanding, not in either of the books, when there seems to be contradiction between the two. That book is actually designed for use in churches, and is comprehensive in an introductory way to the issue of origins, and the interplay between faith and science.
From what I gather, much of Charles Darwin's science is good, and has been verified to the point that he is more influential now, near his 200th birthday- February 12- than ever before. Unfortunately he ended up letting his problem with Christianity as he saw it, impact his science to some extent. Although it doesn't impact the main point of it.
The problem that we as Christians have to battle, as I see it, is not differences where Christians lie on this issue, some for example, holding to Young Earth Creationism, as opposed to those of us who hold to a Theistic Evolutionary model. The problem is where an anti-Christian faith has impacted the science of such people, like Richard Dawkins. Their view would be a part of what is called evolutionism. The idea that all can be explained in naturalistic evolutionary terms, so that natural selection makes any notion of a god not only unnecessary, but undesirable. So that we end up battling evolutionism and naturalism, which in themselves are not scientific. By the way, in Richard Dawkins' case, his recent diatribe against faith in God has really undermined his academic standards, according to those who understand the scientific and philosophical issues involved in that, from what I have heard and am gathering.
There is more that I intend to read on this. So it's a formative time for me in my understanding on origins. There is so much to say here, and a good place to start is with the book I cite above. It interacts with different Christian views, and it comes out where these two scientists are themselves, both professors at Calvin College. They cover in an introductory fashion scientific and theological issues in this.
(Many of my thoughts here come directly through the book mentioned on this post. I take no credit for originality or first hand learning, here. Strictly based on reading others, and forming judgments from that, and especially in this post, from the book mentioned above.)
What might anyone like to add here?
God has given us two great books to read: nature and Scripture. Or in the words of Deborah B. & Loren D. Haarsma, from their helpful book, Origins: A Reformed Look at Creation, Design, & Evolution, from God's world and from God's Word. We need to read them both and let them both speak for themselves, never letting one change the other. And we need to remember that the problem lies in us- in our lack of understanding, not in either of the books, when there seems to be contradiction between the two. That book is actually designed for use in churches, and is comprehensive in an introductory way to the issue of origins, and the interplay between faith and science.
From what I gather, much of Charles Darwin's science is good, and has been verified to the point that he is more influential now, near his 200th birthday- February 12- than ever before. Unfortunately he ended up letting his problem with Christianity as he saw it, impact his science to some extent. Although it doesn't impact the main point of it.
The problem that we as Christians have to battle, as I see it, is not differences where Christians lie on this issue, some for example, holding to Young Earth Creationism, as opposed to those of us who hold to a Theistic Evolutionary model. The problem is where an anti-Christian faith has impacted the science of such people, like Richard Dawkins. Their view would be a part of what is called evolutionism. The idea that all can be explained in naturalistic evolutionary terms, so that natural selection makes any notion of a god not only unnecessary, but undesirable. So that we end up battling evolutionism and naturalism, which in themselves are not scientific. By the way, in Richard Dawkins' case, his recent diatribe against faith in God has really undermined his academic standards, according to those who understand the scientific and philosophical issues involved in that, from what I have heard and am gathering.
There is more that I intend to read on this. So it's a formative time for me in my understanding on origins. There is so much to say here, and a good place to start is with the book I cite above. It interacts with different Christian views, and it comes out where these two scientists are themselves, both professors at Calvin College. They cover in an introductory fashion scientific and theological issues in this.
(Many of my thoughts here come directly through the book mentioned on this post. I take no credit for originality or first hand learning, here. Strictly based on reading others, and forming judgments from that, and especially in this post, from the book mentioned above.)
What might anyone like to add here?
Saturday, November 22, 2008
faith and science
Lately I am doing some interesting reading on faith and science (a book I'm in now). Nowadays in evangelical circles science has a bad name, and in some respects that is deservedly so, due to the deference paid to naturalism as part of its tenets. Of course naturalism is drawing metaphysical conclusions which are not to be confused with the science itself, though at times can impact it.
Science can answer the questions to what is, and observe, while hypothesizing and continuing to test and observe what is, and keep on doing so, in a sense a never ending process. This doesn't mean science can't find things that are demonstrably true. Gravity is an obvious easy one. But of course science can never answer the questions of why we're here, or how it all began.
There is general revelation and there is special revelation. General revelation is God's creation seen in nature, and observed in science, while special revelation is God's word given to us in Scripture and in Jesus Christ. Both are important from God, so science can actually be a help and blessing to both believers and nonbelievers alike. Science itself must not be seen as the enemy of truth, but we do need to discern what is added to science apart from the science itself. God does not deceive us with the revelation he has given us. Both parts of revelation stand on their own in the ways they are intended to, as well as together.
A big battle over science has been ongoing and more is yet to come it seems, as far as evangelical Christians are concerned. This post is simply to say we should let science do its work and take it seriously as it stands. While at the same time we must critique the naturalism scientists mix in with their scientific work.
What might you like to add here?
Science can answer the questions to what is, and observe, while hypothesizing and continuing to test and observe what is, and keep on doing so, in a sense a never ending process. This doesn't mean science can't find things that are demonstrably true. Gravity is an obvious easy one. But of course science can never answer the questions of why we're here, or how it all began.
There is general revelation and there is special revelation. General revelation is God's creation seen in nature, and observed in science, while special revelation is God's word given to us in Scripture and in Jesus Christ. Both are important from God, so science can actually be a help and blessing to both believers and nonbelievers alike. Science itself must not be seen as the enemy of truth, but we do need to discern what is added to science apart from the science itself. God does not deceive us with the revelation he has given us. Both parts of revelation stand on their own in the ways they are intended to, as well as together.
A big battle over science has been ongoing and more is yet to come it seems, as far as evangelical Christians are concerned. This post is simply to say we should let science do its work and take it seriously as it stands. While at the same time we must critique the naturalism scientists mix in with their scientific work.
What might you like to add here?
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