The inevitable Growth of Scientism or Evolutionism.

We’ve all read countless studies over the last decade telling us that Christian attendance numbers have reduced in many major cities of the world. There has been growing ‘Scientism’ or “evolutionism’ followers, hoping that Science, being a measure, can replace religion as a worldview and a touchstone.

It has been driven in the minds of people by various media sources , that there is no possibility that God exists (with great certainty)…. & have been pretty successful at this.

Celebrity atheists and authors like Stephen Hawking somehow claimed that we don’t Need God, saying –

“For God’s sake, it’s 2010: science and God are enemies, & science 🧬 has defeated God. In the light of modern scientific discoveries, belief in God is idiocy. If you picked religion, you picked the wrong team. You picked faith and fantasy over reason and evidence, so we are allowed to mock you.”

This seems to be the way science & religion has been playing in recent times.

“Choose a side!”

It says….

The thing is I believe Christians don’t need to choose between God and science. There is room for both because, firstly, they have both had a long-lasting relationship. They have been “good mates” for centuries.

Thing is … you have to believe in an ordered universe to be involved in scientific pursuit, and this is exactly what we find on page 1 of the Bible. “Page 1?’ you ask. Yes, in the Book of Genesis, describes how God fashioned the universe out of nothingness in six days.

Here’s the thing: I think there is room for both.

I believe Science is compatible with the Christian faith. God’s existence is either true or not. But calling it a scientific question implies that the tools of science can provide the answer like it tries to do ‘logically’ for everything else.

I believe you cannot use the same tools for God, just as much you cannot use 4th century weapons to win a modern-day war. God is ‘all-encompassing’.

As Professor Francis Collins, author of “The Language of God”, supports this too, saying –

“God cannot be completely contained with nature, and therefor God’s existence is outside of science’s ability to really weigh in.”

What do you think?

ok, first, to understand the present, What does History tell us?

Also bear in mind, Christians and Christians movements have been intimately entangled with the progress of science 🧬, and were in part responsible for the explosion 💥 of modern science 🧪 in the western world 🌎 in the 17th century.

Remember Galileo? The thinker that developed a telescope 🔭 to use to observe and measure Copernicus’ new “sun-centered “ view of the galaxy?

Well, contrary to what many believe, Galileo not only believed in God, but also loved his Bible & science and (most importantly) refused to choose between them.

He was a Hero for both science and God. And let’s not forget

Darwin and Evolution have become virtually synonymous; yet the basic concept of evolutionary change had been around since before Charles Darwin’s grandfather’s time. People forget (or simply do not know) that Darwin’s model (as was proposed in his book: “On the Origin of Species released in 1859) was rejected for decades and was never fully accepted. Even the so-called Darwinian synthesis of the twentieth century was very different from his original formulation.

Yes, Darwin, now rivals Newton as Britain’s major scientific genius even though he had never been an obvious candidate for the accolade of genius. He was a mediocre student, leaving university with a passion for bugs and geology and few ambitions. In his own lifetime he was a controversial celebrity and spent much of his life as a virtual recluse in his country home.

The New Atheist crowd today

Chief protagonist Richard Dawkins makes his case In the “God Delusion” that it is impossible to be a logical, intelligent scientific thinker and a faithful religious follower at the same time. Big supporters of the Evolutionary Theory espoused by Darwin, even giving credit to Darwin for the catchphrase – “Survival of the fittest’.

The truth is, the reclusive semi-valid, Darwin left others to defend his theory for him. The catchphrase was invented by somebody else, not Darwin.

History shows that, like with many other examples, Darwin was affected greatly by prejudices of the time. And even though his evolution theory was accepted by 1900, his explanation seemed on its way out. His supporters had failed to come up with any mechanism for change, and rival theories proliferated.

Here’s the truth: Modern Darwin Evolutionism is very different from Darwin’s Darwinism.

Many scientists also believe in God.

Luckily, there are many scientists that strongly believe in a God, here are a few examples-

1. Francis Collins – was the head of the multi-billion dollar “Human Genome Project”
2. Professor Bill Phillips(Nobel Prize in Physics) – who was part of a bunch of other scientists who urged Barack Obama to invest $15B in clean energy research
3. World-renown Neurosurgeon, Dr Ben Carson who was part of the advisory committee to Barack Obama.

Obviously there are many smart scientists that don’t believe in God.

Francis Collins (above) stated –

“Science is powerless to answer questions such as – WHY did the universe come into being?” WHAT is the meaning of human existence?” WHAT happens after we die?” 

and … Atheists speak up

But the Atheist Leaders (like Professor Peter Atkins at the University of Oxford) say –

“Humanity should accept that science 🧬 has eliminated the justification for believing in cosmic purpose ….”

Let’s think about these atheists claims for a second ….

And ask science to explain –

1. Whether a song is good or painful /bad for you …. NO, IT CANNOT
2. Can science Put the day I got married under microscope so that I may thoroughly understand it?

NOT Likely!

The scientific Law of CAUSALITY.

The above is a key principle of science, & the great scientist- Francis Bacon said-

“True knowledge is knowing causes”.

Like, think about when you were born… think about all the key causes of that – I can think of 3 key ones :

1. your parents decision
2. The successful sperm that fertilised the egg
3. The safe & steady growth in the amniotic sack

And other causes ….

So, if we accept that everything that has a beginning has a CAUSE, then… it is just difficult to see that something caused our universe to begin.

Question is: WHO or WHAT caused the universe to begin? If you’re an atheist and say, nothing “causes” it to begin, then, you demolish the fundamental statement of Law of Causality.

Religion and Science will always combat one another!

The market has been flooded with books, particularly over the last two decades, by Scientists describing a caged death match between Science and God. It seems, the latter (Science) winning, or at least chipping away at faith’s underlying verities.

Maybe, most people (like me), occupy the ‘middle ground’, we want it all: to cheer on science’s progress (for possible vaccination against the covid virus for example) but still practise humility on Sabbath; and also want access to MRIs and miracles …

Maybe, just maybe, there is widespread hope that science and God are actually in alignment .. in Harmony  – that, indeed, SCIENCE IS OF GOD.

There is room for both God & Science.

Science (my first degree was in Mathematics & Physics) & God should not be viewed as at loggerheads. Yes, it could be viewed that Professor Dawkins basic account of evolution is incompatible with God’s having designed it but I see differently.

I see Mr Dawkins basic account as being rather compatible with God’s doing. If God is external to nature … if he is outside the realm of Nature, then, it follows that he is also outside the concept of space and time.

So, if God can see the whole time continuum, even me writing this … it follows that he could see the future and still give us free will to carry out our own desires.

So, we could simply agree that Science 🧫 & God are asking a different set of questions. There is room for both God & Science.

Without a doubt , science is a great & noble thing to pursue but leave the “arrogance at the door”. Science certainly helps “unpack the universe that God brought into existence…

But ….

That is not enough, as we need to know God , personally.

And it is through Jesus Christ that we learn and understand God … through his life,.. his death at resurrection.

The most important thing is ….

Scientific knowledge is good & is only a fraction of the knowledge we gain.

The most important thing is … the personal knowledge or relational knowledge we have and make , through being human … through our connections

Personal knowledge of your friends, family, your Mum & dad … your world mates, your church members … your neighbours.

Ultimately, in life .,, that is the most important Thing of all – our Personal knowledge through connecting and sharing …

And … trying to know God. … through his only son, Jesus Christ.

So, what do you believe in?

I’ll stop 🛑 there ….

Cheers 🍻 & ahoy!

The old captain Viking Pirate 🏴‍☠️ ⚔️Evangelist muscled 💪monk …& the healthy co-existence of God and Science.