Science and Faith? ...

Tuesday, Jan 19, 2016. What is the relationship between science and faith? You know the old question, which has been discussed for at least 500 years now - since the development of modern science. Today, interest has risen following strong claims of some part of the atheist community. Some people claim that due to science faith is outdated and cannot be kept any more. But what is true?

The Discussion …

Some people claim that they do not need God for the investigation of nature, and that he is not needed for any step of their explanation. The basic task of science is to understand the behavior of nature according to well phrased laws. We try to understand the behavior of the planet according to the Newtonian laws of motion. We try to understand the chemical behavior of substances following the laws of chemistry, the periodic system, solid state physics … there is inorganic and organic chemistry. We try to understand living systems with their complex biological and chemical structure. And our scientific approach is set-up to explain things like this - it is just by approach that we do not ask for God when we do science.

There is a quite significant Christian community which is trying to defend God's role in creation. When you explore the discussion, you will find all levels of opinions, from the 7-day-creation to “God is dead”. All shades in between these extreme views will be there in the discussion, and it is not the point that you can proclaim one or the other statements, but the question is first: what has happened how? And second: in what way does it help us?

Let us clarify one very important thing first. The bible strongly supports wisdom and knowledge. It strongly supports reason. It strongly supports logic. It is a book which wants us to be full of wisdom and knowledge, to understand and to draw clear and reasonable conclusions from what we hear, see and comprehend. In this sense the bible supports science. You can explore many of its parts, starting from Genesis to the Revelation at the end, and you will find a clear and continuing impulse to explore and understand our world and the laws which it is based on! Let us, for example, look into the experiences of Solomon about 3000 years ago:

No Contradiction

7 In that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask what I shall give you.” 8 And Solomon said to God, “You have shown great and steadfast love to David my father, and have made me king in his place. 9 O Lord God, let your word to David my father be now fulfilled, for you have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me now wisdom and knowledge to go out and come in before this people, for who can govern this people of yours, which is so great?” 11 God answered Solomon, “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions, wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge are granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you, and none after you shall have the like.” 13 So Solomon came from the high place at Gibeon, from before the tent of meeting, to Jerusalem. And he reigned over Israel. (2 Chronicles 1, 7-13)

When I think about science and God, one little ordinary example comes to my mind all the time. It is the example of myself moving my right arm. If you look at the science of this movement, would you find myself and my decisions, my intentions, my goals somewhere in the physics, biology or chemistry of my arm and my body? We do not have a clear model of how reason is happening. All the chemistry of my arm is there, and all the chemistry of my brain - but my goals are also there and the arm is doing what I want it to do. In the same way God can use creation, to do what he wants to do.

As a scientist who has gone through the whole range of science, I do not see a real problem with faith and science. You do not need to let out any area of your life. You can ask any question you like. There might be some which are difficult to answer, just because we miss insight and do not have the historical evidence (or did not understand what we have yet). But there is no real problem to believe in the God, in Christ Jesus, father, son and holy spirit, and to work with and in science, to explore this creation and understand its laws and rules. On the contrary, these laws and rules are very beautiful, full of logic, reason and mystery at the same time. It is wonderful to be a scientist and explore what the Lord has made! (RWEP) ... more texts