| Can a Christian be a Good Scientist? by Pastor Robert Hein (September-October, 2007) |
Can a Christian who accepts the Bible as literal truth also be a good scientist? Many secular scientists insist
that is not possible. Christians receive insults to their scientific intelligence all the time. Consider this
statement from Jude Doughtery, dean of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, “I
don't think anyone who is at least minimally, scientifically literate doubts that the theory of evolution is
correct.” The conclusion? If you don't accept the theory of evolution as scientific fact, you are not worthy to
be called a scientist.
And so Christians studying and preparing for careers in the scientific world often feel the pressure to
compromise or reject what the Bible teaches in order to gain acceptance from the scientific community.
But is that really necessary? Can a Bible believing Christian also be a good scientist? It depends on which
kind of science you are talking about. It is useful to make a distinction between “operational science” and
“origins science.” Operational science is based on the laws of physics, chemistry, biology etc. that God
established when he created the world. The discoveries and applications of observational science are
based on the scientific method of observation and experimentation. We use observational science to
understand how a computer works, how to send a spaceship to the moon and back, how plants and animals
reproduce after their kind, how medicines fight disease, and how gravity affects our world. While Christians
humbly admit there is still much we do not understand of how God governs this universe, we really have no
conflict with the findings of operational science. In fact, we expect the world to follow the rules of operational
science since an orderly God established them in the beginning, and keeps them in working order to this
very day. We do recognize however that present findings can be proven wrong, and replaced with new
scientific discoveries.
Bible believing Christians also believe in miracles. Miracles, by definition, usurp the laws of operational
science. For example, operational science teaches us that people can't walk on water and dead people
don't rise to life again. Christians don't deny these laws of operational science; we simply believe that our
supernatural God who established those laws also has the authority to intervene in human history to usurp
them.
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Some of the greatest scientific discoveries and advances were made by scientists who also accepted the
Biblical account of creation. Consider Isaac Newton who co-discovered calculus, formulated the laws of
motion and gravity, calculated planetary orbits, and invented the reflecting telescope. Consider Johannes
Kepler who discovered the three laws of planetary motion, or James Maxwell who discovered the four
fundamental equations that light and all forms of electromagnet radiation obey. A belief in the evolutionary
claims of origins science was not required for any of these great scientists to advance their work.
Bible believing Christians do not have a problem then with the findings of operational science when it comes
to how our present world functions. Rather we disagree with the claims of origins science. Origins science is
not based upon observation and experimentation of the present, but rather on speculation and unproven
assumptions concerning the past. For example, operational science teaches that everything reproduces
after its own kind. That is what we see happening today. Within a specific animal kind there is a great deal
of room of variety and adaptation. However, we never observe microbes becoming monkeys or monkeys
becoming men. In fact, the laws of operational science teach us this is impossible. But proponents of origins
science insist that in
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the distant past, things worked much differently. Back then mutations occurred on a regular basis over
millions of years which continually added new genetic information to succeeding generations. We don't see
it happening. We can't make it happen in a laboratory. The findings of operational science actually say it
can't happen. And yet we are expected to believe that all these beneficial changes did happen over millions
of years simply by random chance. Louis Pasteur developed the law of Biogenesis, which teaches that life
only comes from life. No one has ever refuted this law of operational science. And yet we are expected to
believe that billions of years ago, things worked differently, that life, intelligent life, could spring from non life,
all on its own. Understand then that the claims of origins science are not based on sound scientific
observation and experimentation, but more so upon a premise of naturalism that clouds the interpretation of
the evidence we observe.
Christians don't have to put their brain in the closet to be good scientists. We do always need to keep our
human reason subject to the Word of God. As God's Word teaches, " We demolish arguments and
every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every
thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5-6. However, we normally expect our world to
follow the rules of operational science which God established. This will enable Christians to excel in all sorts
of scientific fields such as biology, chemistry, astronomy, botany, medical research, and in the development
of new scientific technology. But Christians must always reject the unproven claims of origins science when
these theories contradict the clear teachings of the infallible Word of God. LSI
that is not possible. Christians receive insults to their scientific intelligence all the time. Consider this
statement from Jude Doughtery, dean of the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America, “I
don't think anyone who is at least minimally, scientifically literate doubts that the theory of evolution is
correct.” The conclusion? If you don't accept the theory of evolution as scientific fact, you are not worthy to
be called a scientist.
And so Christians studying and preparing for careers in the scientific world often feel the pressure to
compromise or reject what the Bible teaches in order to gain acceptance from the scientific community.
But is that really necessary? Can a Bible believing Christian also be a good scientist? It depends on which
kind of science you are talking about. It is useful to make a distinction between “operational science” and
“origins science.” Operational science is based on the laws of physics, chemistry, biology etc. that God
established when he created the world. The discoveries and applications of observational science are
based on the scientific method of observation and experimentation. We use observational science to
understand how a computer works, how to send a spaceship to the moon and back, how plants and animals
reproduce after their kind, how medicines fight disease, and how gravity affects our world. While Christians
humbly admit there is still much we do not understand of how God governs this universe, we really have no
conflict with the findings of operational science. In fact, we expect the world to follow the rules of operational
science since an orderly God established them in the beginning, and keeps them in working order to this
very day. We do recognize however that present findings can be proven wrong, and replaced with new
scientific discoveries.
Bible believing Christians also believe in miracles. Miracles, by definition, usurp the laws of operational
science. For example, operational science teaches us that people can't walk on water and dead people
don't rise to life again. Christians don't deny these laws of operational science; we simply believe that our
supernatural God who established those laws also has the authority to intervene in human history to usurp
them.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Some of the greatest scientific discoveries and advances were made by scientists who also accepted the
Biblical account of creation. Consider Isaac Newton who co-discovered calculus, formulated the laws of
motion and gravity, calculated planetary orbits, and invented the reflecting telescope. Consider Johannes
Kepler who discovered the three laws of planetary motion, or James Maxwell who discovered the four
fundamental equations that light and all forms of electromagnet radiation obey. A belief in the evolutionary
claims of origins science was not required for any of these great scientists to advance their work.
Bible believing Christians do not have a problem then with the findings of operational science when it comes
to how our present world functions. Rather we disagree with the claims of origins science. Origins science is
not based upon observation and experimentation of the present, but rather on speculation and unproven
assumptions concerning the past. For example, operational science teaches that everything reproduces
after its own kind. That is what we see happening today. Within a specific animal kind there is a great deal
of room of variety and adaptation. However, we never observe microbes becoming monkeys or monkeys
becoming men. In fact, the laws of operational science teach us this is impossible. But proponents of origins
science insist that in
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
the distant past, things worked much differently. Back then mutations occurred on a regular basis over
millions of years which continually added new genetic information to succeeding generations. We don't see
it happening. We can't make it happen in a laboratory. The findings of operational science actually say it
can't happen. And yet we are expected to believe that all these beneficial changes did happen over millions
of years simply by random chance. Louis Pasteur developed the law of Biogenesis, which teaches that life
only comes from life. No one has ever refuted this law of operational science. And yet we are expected to
believe that billions of years ago, things worked differently, that life, intelligent life, could spring from non life,
all on its own. Understand then that the claims of origins science are not based on sound scientific
observation and experimentation, but more so upon a premise of naturalism that clouds the interpretation of
the evidence we observe.
Christians don't have to put their brain in the closet to be good scientists. We do always need to keep our
human reason subject to the Word of God. As God's Word teaches, " We demolish arguments and
every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every
thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5-6. However, we normally expect our world to
follow the rules of operational science which God established. This will enable Christians to excel in all sorts
of scientific fields such as biology, chemistry, astronomy, botany, medical research, and in the development
of new scientific technology. But Christians must always reject the unproven claims of origins science when
these theories contradict the clear teachings of the infallible Word of God. LSI
