Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Caught Between Faith and Science
A week and a half ago Mrs. kissfan and I were sitting in church listening to the sermon when the pastor said something that sparked my interest. With our regular pastor gone, the substitute pastor was speaking about the truth in creationism stating that evolution is nothing more than a theory that can't be proven. (Our regular pastor is much more liberal in his teachings than our substitute.) He then went on to talk about how each of us are unique for which he cited DNA as proof. This started me thinking: how can he dismiss science as theory but then use it as proof? And the more I thought, I came to realize that many Christians must be caught between their faith and science.
I immediately began racking my brain for other instances like this and surprisingly was able to come up with several rather quickly. I don't know why I haven't made this observation before, but it happens all the time. For instance, as I was listening to Rush Limbaugh recently (I'm kind of masochistic that way), I heard him argue against evolution but for natural selection all within a ten minute time frame. I remember thinking it was kind of ironic, but it didn't really sink in what was happening.
Truth is, this has been happening for years. While many Christians have tried to pass off science as theory (evolution, big bang, continental drift, etc.) they will revert to it to prove their point. I'm reminded of the ossuary that bore the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Who was brought in to authenticate the item? Why scientists of course. And what about the Dead Sea Scrolls? Or the Shroud of Turin? Both have used carbon dating to determine their age.
The thing is, many Christians are more than willing to use science when it suits their needs, but quickly dismiss it as unproven theory when it contradicts their beliefs. In my opinion, Christians really only have two options: swear off science entirely or admit their coexistence. As the former choice would also entail swearing off medicine, I believe their best bet would be to choose the latter. Maybe they can find comfort in the words of the Rev. C.O. Magee, a Presbyterian minister, “Any time religion gets involved in science, religion comes off looking like a bunch of nerds. . . . The Book of Genesis told who created the world and why it was created and science tells how it was done.”
Unfortunately, it looks as as though the evangelicals may have their own ideas about things. According to a new "evangelical" museum, neither science nor history are correct.
Nice. I guess historians are liberals too. Who's next? Mathmeticians? Will it ever stop?
I immediately began racking my brain for other instances like this and surprisingly was able to come up with several rather quickly. I don't know why I haven't made this observation before, but it happens all the time. For instance, as I was listening to Rush Limbaugh recently (I'm kind of masochistic that way), I heard him argue against evolution but for natural selection all within a ten minute time frame. I remember thinking it was kind of ironic, but it didn't really sink in what was happening.
Truth is, this has been happening for years. While many Christians have tried to pass off science as theory (evolution, big bang, continental drift, etc.) they will revert to it to prove their point. I'm reminded of the ossuary that bore the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Who was brought in to authenticate the item? Why scientists of course. And what about the Dead Sea Scrolls? Or the Shroud of Turin? Both have used carbon dating to determine their age.
The thing is, many Christians are more than willing to use science when it suits their needs, but quickly dismiss it as unproven theory when it contradicts their beliefs. In my opinion, Christians really only have two options: swear off science entirely or admit their coexistence. As the former choice would also entail swearing off medicine, I believe their best bet would be to choose the latter. Maybe they can find comfort in the words of the Rev. C.O. Magee, a Presbyterian minister, “Any time religion gets involved in science, religion comes off looking like a bunch of nerds. . . . The Book of Genesis told who created the world and why it was created and science tells how it was done.”
Unfortunately, it looks as as though the evangelicals may have their own ideas about things. According to a new "evangelical" museum, neither science nor history are correct.
- The centrepiece of the museum is a series of huge model dinosaurs, built by the former head of design at Universal Studios, which are portrayed as existing alongside man, contrary to received scientific opinion that they lived millions of years apart.
Other exhibits include images of Adam and Eve, a model of Noah's Ark and a planetarium demonstrating how God made the Earth in six days.
The museum, which has cost a mighty $25 million (£13 million) will be the world's first significant natural history collection devoted to creationist theory. It has been set up by Ken Ham, an Australian evangelist, who runs Answers in Genesis, one of America's most prominent creationist organisations. He said that his aim was to use tourism, and the theme park's striking exhibits, to convert more people to the view that the world and its creatures, including dinosaurs, were created by God 6,000 years ago.
Nice. I guess historians are liberals too. Who's next? Mathmeticians? Will it ever stop?
