Theology and science do not have to be in opposition. They
are not only compatible with one another, but they complement each other. You do not have to sacrifice the truth or
integrity of either field of study. You do not need to check your brains at the
door to worship God, and your faith does not render invalid all intellectual
pursuits. The Bible instructs us to test everything and hold on to the good.
This implies spiritual discernment and
mental reasoning working together.
For a collection of books written thousands of years ago,
the Bible continues to be true and relevant. The Bible's ability to convey
truth when compared to the evidence of nature is, well, supernatural. The
writers worked under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to express truth in
such a marvelous way that it grows with our understanding. A word of caution —
our understanding and our old views are not to be worshipped. The Bible is to
be read, studied and applied in the life of the believer. The Bible is the Holy
Scripture, but the recipient of our worship is God Almighty. Our traditions,
interpretations, and theories change with time. God does not.
So, what have we learned thus far? The basic framework of
creation presented in the Bible fits very nicely with current scientific
understanding of the beginnings. The Bible sets some specific limits, but
otherwise appears neutral regarding change of plants and animals over time. It
is the limits of the creation / evolution controversy that we will discuss in
this section.
But first there is a statement in the theology and science
debate that should be addressed.
Science can’t say anything about the existence or
non-existence of God.
Of course science doesn't say anything about the existence
or non-existence of God, because science is man's attempt to explain the
working of all that is in the universe by
natural means. You can't find evidence of God if you exclude Him from the
equation. What is really being said is that naturalism can explain everything,
God may exist but He is not necessary. So it would seem the atheist gets to
remain secure in his scientific comfort zone with this statement. Gaps, holes,
and improbabilities do not mean or even suggest God, because every problem must
have a natural solution. Even what we do know, at least in part — the physical
laws of the cosmos and of nature — are never seen as having significance beyond
themselves.
Honest science readily admits it can never prove anything
as absolutely true. Science does not claim to prove; rather it offers a best guess explanation based on the
evidence. This method has proven to be very effective. Our knowledge and
technology have greatly benefited from science. Because theories are tested
against the evidence, science is fluid,
changing with new discoveries. Where naturalism adherents misuse science is when
they fail to differentiate between what has been tested and found true in all
cases and that which is not observed, but is assumed true, because it is the
current naturalistic best fit for the evidence.
Evolution defined as “change occurring over time” is
observably true — you are not identical to your parents. Thus naturalism can
claim that evolution is a fact at this
observable level. It becomes theory
once you move beyond this point. That man and apes have a common physical
ancestor might be true. It is suggested by the evidence but not observed so;
while it may be true, it cannot be considered a fact. That all life on earth is
descended from a common ancestor is accepted in most evolution circles but it
is theory not fact. The theories by
which descent with modification from a common ancestor might have occurred
continue to be the subject of heated debates. That the first
life on earth originated by natural chemical reactions is still speculative.
Abiogenesis is theory, not fact. Once you move beyond
direct observation, truth becomes belief. One willfully chooses to interpret
the evidence in a certain manner. This is the essence of faith — a belief in
what cannot be proved based on what is known to be true. The Bible offers an explanation beyond naturalism for the evidence.
We may willfully choose to believe that the Bible reveals the truths that are
unavailable from physical evidence.
Now let's begin our
look at the physical evidence: