Am I anti-science? Do I think the Christian faith and science cannot coexist? Do I think all scientists are evil?
I’m getting these questions from readers (because, yes, the bad guys in Anomaly are the scientists), and the short answer to them all is “no.” I am very grateful for science and scientists. People who pursue careers in science go on to find medicines that heal diseases, create products that make my life easier, find ways to rid our world of nasty things we don’t want in it. They study our world and our bodies and help us understand all that better. They are incredibly important, incredibly smart.
I do, however, have a problem with naturalism. And I respectfully, but wholeheartedly, disagree with people whose worldview is based on naturalism, whose science is based on naturalism.
Merriam-Webster defines naturalism as “a theory denying that an event or object has a supernatural significance; specifically : the doctrine that scientific laws are adequate to account for all phenomena.”
The current basis for much scientific thought is firmly based in naturalism. These scientists start with the theory that the universe was created at random, from matter that exploded or melted or was carried in on some other type of matter (where did the initial matter come from?? No one seems to have an answer for that). And from there, life developed very slowly over billions of years with no help whatsoever from any kind of Intelligent Designer. All scientific study, all research, all hypotheses with this idea as its basis is classified as “theory” or “doctrine” (see the definition above).
But that is not how those ideas are presented. They are presented as fact. And anyone who suggests they aren’t fact are ridiculed by many within the “scientific” community.
As I stated in the previous blog, I believe the basis for ALL truth is the Bible. So I believe the origin of all life is revealed in Genesis 1 – I believe that God – who is eternal – created this universe and all others. Some may think that is crazy, that it is just “faith” and faith has no business in scientific discussion. But I would argue that naturalism is also faith-based. I know and have read many scientists who use Genesis 1 as their starting point and have come up with evidence that points to God-made world, evidence that points away from the “random chance” model touted by naturalists.
The “bad guys” in my book aren’t bad because they are scientists. They are bad because they take naturalism to its logical conclusion – life evolves, the fittest survive, the weak are destroyed, and mankind becomes better as a result. They are simply trying to make the world better. It makes perfect sense, if you really believe what naturalism argues.
But I don’t.
I believe in the God of the Bible. I believe He created the world. I believe he sent a world-wide flood, that he parted the waters in the Red Sea, that he saved a man from a giant, another from hungry lions, I believe He healed the sick and raised the dead, and that He loves us so much that He sent his son to this world he created to save us from sins we’d often rather wallow in than turn from. I choose to believe the only One who was there at the beginning of the world – God Himself.
Krista, I think this is one of my favorite blog posts you’ve ever written! I believe Science and God go hand in hand. Whether or not they tell us, science is proving the Bible and the existence of an Intelligent Designer everyday.