Science and Christian Belief

It is generally perceived that Science has solved the mysteries of the universe and the answers are not in agreement with the Bible.  This threatens the new believer or would-be believer.

This in not the way things stand, for several reasons and it is possible to show that one does not have to be a "head in the sand", "flat-earther" to accept God's version of the Universe.  It is not true to say that  no  scientists  believe in God, and it is not true that Christians and Jews must be ignorant of Science.  (Look up the life of Sir Isaac Newton)   Popular Pseudo-science, as a vehicle for denying God can be seen as coming under condemnation in Romans 1 v 18-23,  "What is revealed is God's anger against all the godlessness and wickedness of people who in their wickedness keep suppressing the truth; because what is known about God is plain to them, since God has made it plain to them  . . . . "

This page examines how science really works, as opposed to how the popular media chooses to present it.  We will  look at the major issues of -  the Theory of Evolution, the age of the Universe Cosmology ( the Big Bang Theory) and Paleontology, Geology and the Genesis account.  We will also consider the nature and purpose of a scientific theory.

Popular presentation of  "historical" arguments against the Bible are also refutable.   People who have set out to disprove the Bible and the life and resurrection of Jesus have ended up convinced that it is true, and that it is better verified than many widely accepted facts of history.

Evolution

Evolution, or as it should properly be called, the Theory of Evolution, was  proposed by Charles Darwin as a possible explanation of the way all the diverse species came to be.  The purpose and nature of a scientific theory is that it is an idea that scientists will then explore and seek to prove or disprove.  To accept Evolution as fact, as we are taught in the media and in school is to overlook the fact that Evolution has not progressed beyond being a non-proven theory.   

The big appeal of a belief in Evolution, now as when it was first proposed, is that it avoids the need for belief in a God who created us and has moral requirements of us.

One recent Teletext News report  stated that, "Each human carries about 300 gene mutations, affecting their health for the worst, like wonky teeth.  Each baby inherits mutations from its parents, plus 3 new abnormalities its mother and father do not have."    This suggests that, given the timescales suggested by evolutionists, the human species must have deteriorated rather than evolving upwards.

Paleontology

The ages of the layers of the earth are determined by the species of fossils found in them.  This assumes a steady rate of deposition of plant, animal and mineral matter.  Fossils are dated by reference to the layers in which they are found.  (This may be a simplification but it indicates the use of a circular argument.)  These layers are supposed to indicate or substantiate the sequence of evolution.

There are some problems with this steady deposition model.   If this rate has always been slow and steady, large animals or standing trees, such as some found in France, would have rotted away towards the top long before they got covered up and fossilised by the pressure.   The location of large groupings of complete fossils in certain strata suggests instant burial in a catastrophe like the flood in Genesis.   The Genesis model also provides the cause of this catastrophic flood, in the time of Noah.   Genesis 1 v6-10 says,  And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse "sky." And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day. And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good.   The water above the expanse (sky) suggests that the earth was originally created enveloped in a canopy of water vapour.  This would have been a greenhouse with temperatures pretty constant all over the globe, explaining warm climate species fossils found towards the poles.   If God caused this canopy to collapse in the time of Noah, plants and animals would have been swept away and buried in mud and silt by the same process that can be observed today, but on a much greater scale.   The climate after this would be similar to what we know today, in which large cold blooded animals could not survive.

Geology

Geology looks at observable rates of erosion, tectonic plate movement etc and, assuming steady uninterrupted rates, calculates a probable age for the earth.

Cosmology and "The Big Bang"

The distance from Earth to galaxies is measured by what is sometimes called the "headlamp method";  the further away they are the dimmer they will be.  Of course, not all galaxies will give out the same amount of light to start with.

By looking at the light spectra of galaxies and observing the Doppler Shift scientists calculate the velocity at which galaxies are moving away from us.  The galaxies appear to be diverging like the fragments of an exploding firework; those farthest away are moving fastest.   Hubble's Law  (Edwin Hubble  1889-1953)  suggests a similar model for the universe, in that it is all diverging from one point.  Assuming that to be true Hubble's Law can be used to calculate when all the galaxies started out from one point, in a "big bang".   That event is calculated to have happened between 10,000,000,000 and 20,000,000,000 years ago.

Bible Time and Science's estimates of the Age of the Universe.

Genesis tells us that God created the universe in six days, and rested on the seventh.  The Jewish calendar is calculated from all the available time information in the Bible records to produce a date for creation of less than 6000 years ago.  ( see also The Jewish Calendar and the Gregorian Calendar ).   There seems little point in trying to reconcile six days or even six thousand years with ten thousand million years.   Most believers in God's word are no match for scientists to be able to pick away at the fabric of their scientific arguments and beat them at their own game.  The important thing to remember is that the two sides are starting from totally different assumptions.

To rephrase Genesis 1 v1, " God created Time (the beginning), Space ( the heavens) and Matter ( the earth ) "

Since Time did not exist before God created it, why should it be a problem that the universe appears to be older than it actually is.   If we can believe in the miracles of Jesus what is difficult about believing that God created a fully formed universe rather than waiting millions of years for it to mature.   Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee.   Plenty of people accept this miracle, but wine can only be produced by fermenting the fruit over a period of time, and since the wine was pronounced to be the best wine it must have been a well matured vintage.   Jesus was able to produce wine with the appearance of age!   The same could also be said for miracles of healing, where body tissue is restored as if it had grown naturally, at normal rates of growth.

Ken Ham broadcasts for Answers in Genesis and his series can often be found on the God channels on Sky Digital satellite TV broadcasts.  He pointed out some fascinating facts to counter the popular pseudo-science assertions about timescales.

There is no need to fear that non-believers can confound our faith with science as long as we do not accept their assumptions along with their "facts".

You might also be interested in www.answersingenesis.org ,   www.creationresearch.net  and  http://reasons.org/index.shtml .

Home Page        Beginners guide