For ages science and religion have opposed one another. If science formulates a theory that appears to conflict with the Bible many Christians immediately dismiss the theory as hogwash or the wisdom of men.
I have never had this problem. Rather I have enjoyed finding ties between scientific theories and biblical teachings. I believe they are abundant.
Sure - there are conflicts. But conflicts arise between scientists. And conflicts arise between churches and religious scholars.
God is both the Great Scientist and the Great Religious Scholar. He knows all scientific truths, and He knows all scriptural truths. He is the Author of both.
I know many view God as a mystical unexplainable Being. Because He is God His ways are incomprehensible. All of this is true, but in viewing God this way are we also robbing Him of His intelligence?
When we think of the Creation, many Christians believed God pointed His finger and the world appeared. But shouldn't we also recognize that God understood the science behind what He was doing? He knew exactly how far the Sun needed to be from the Earth in order to provide us with temperatures we could endure. He knew exactly where to place Mother Earth and the other planets to create a stable universe. We can take great scientists such as Albert Einstein and realize that God is infinitely smarter.
Just as Christians strive to understand God and His ways in regards to salvation, scientists strive to understand the science of His creations. Conflicts may arise but we are all seeking the same thing - the truths of God.
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5 comments:
"He knows all scientific truths, and He knows all scriptural truths. He is the Author of both."
I don't see science as the author of truth; neither do I see scriptures as the author of truth. For me there are not "scientific" or "scriptural truths".
Truth exists on its own. Though God does possess knowledge of all truth, He is not its author.
Science observes and reports. When they try to explain the whys--they disagree and get into arguments. Because scientific observations have caused us to realize that the earth revolves around the sun does not make science the author of that truth. It will be so, regardless of what science says or does about it.
Scriptures are accounts of prophets. They are observations and reports as well. Christ was our Savior before Nephi or Paul wrote about Him.
The conflicts you speak of are between people, not disciplines. Conflict thrives for many reasons, but mainly because people have pride, and do not accept the existence of the Holy Spirit as the only true confirmation of truth.
You end your post by saying we are seeking the truths of God. God possesses truth, but is not the owner of it. We are seeking truths from God, and those truths exist separate from His existence.
I NEVER said that science or the scriptures were authors of truth. Within both disciplines truths exist.
In saying that God is the Author of scientific and scriptural truths I am suggesting that because He created this Earth He knows the science behind it (He was the one who knew where to place the Earth, etc.), and because He was the one who communicated with Prophets and Apostles He is the literally the Author of scriptural truths.
The scriptures teach: "The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth."
The glory OF God is truth, therefore I believe it is accurate to say the truths OF God. God's glory is light and truth, even though it exists in its own sphere God posseses it.
The conflicts I speak of are between both people and disciplines. Are you saying that within the discipline of science there are no disagreements? I politely DISAGREE.
Conflicts do not always result from pride. As each of us strive to learn truths our interpretation of information may lead us to different conclusions. Even the Apostles of Jesus Christ had disagreements in the Bible, and I am sure that not all Apostles of the Church today are in total agreement.
You miss my point completey. Aside from the semantical differences you have pointed out I am simply saying that both scientists, religious scholars and seekers of the things of the Spirit will find truth from the same source - God.
Drew,
I am not sure we disagree very much on this point.
Let me respond to your comment:
I NEVER said that science or the scriptures were authors of truth. Within both disciplines truths exist.
I understand. I was responding to your sentence:
He knows all scientific truths, and He knows all scriptural truths.
I read that sentence as you giving science and scriptures the credit for truth. I think we both agree that both disciplines expose truth, but are not its authors.
Moving on. . .
The glory OF God is truth, therefore I believe it is accurate to say the truths OF God. God's glory is light and truth, even though it exists in its own sphere God posseses it.
I'm okay with this. I agree that my argument here was semantic.
The conflicts I speak of are between both people and disciplines. Are you saying that within the discipline of science there are no disagreements? I politely DISAGREE.
I guess I see a difference between disagreements and conflicts. I treated your use of the word "conflict" as synonomous with "contention". Contention exists mainly because of pride. Sure, I concede that there are apparent discrepencies within both disciplines. But, ultimately, since truth cannot contradict itself--there is no conflict nor are there discrepencies, except among the people in those fields. How can one say "science disagrees on this point" or something like that? Science is tool--it does not disagree or agree. People disagree.
You miss my point completey. Aside from the semantical differences you have pointed out I am simply saying that both scientists, religious scholars and seekers of the things of the Spirit will find truth from the same source - God.
I completely agree with this last sentence.
I don't see a big disagreement in each of our stances. My main point was that truth exists independently of God, science, or the scriptures.
AND I do agree that even though truth exists separately from God, He remains the only source of truth.
I always enjoy finding ties as well. I loved biology & chemistry because it opened my eyes a great deal as to the workings and creation of God. I loved finding ties between theories of "how things work" and my religious understanding.
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