SCIENCE AND THE BIBLE

          There are those who claim that science and the Bible have little or nothing to do with each other. The technical term for this is “nonoverlapping magisterial.” You can impress your friends with that phrase.

          The flaw in this claim is the notion that science deals with reality while the Bible deals with the mythical: Leprechauns, fairies, and God. No one who believes the Bible is the Word of God would believe that difference.

          Science and the Bible deal with the same important things, like the origin of the earth and humans. For example, let me remind you that God told Adam to name the animals. That is the science of taxonomy.

          There are those who say the Bible is “culture bound.” It was written in language and customs that have little relevance today. It was written at a time that science barely existed; a science that could not explain gravity, or even that the earth was round.

          It was God’s intention – and still is – that the Bible can be understood by those without advanced degrees. It is meant for the person with little or no education as well as for those who are scientists, mathematicians, and astrophysicists.

          My father was a medical doctor and he struggled his whole life over the possibility of a virgin birth. Scientifically, that could not be explained to his satisfaction. But, through faith, he accepted what he could not explain.

          To this day, I do not understand how sound can be captured in small grooves in a vinyl record! But I have faith that when I drop the needle on the record, the sound that was somehow recorded will play through the speakers. And it will sound the same every time I play the record.

          There are things in the Bible which are beyond my limited understanding. And those things I accept with faith. An unknown but wise philosopher once said: “In essentials, unity; In non-essentials, liberty, in all things, charity. (A lesson that should apply to present-day political parties!)

          As we wrestle to try to harmonize the Bible with science, it would be good to remember that discussion is good because it gives both parties a chance to learn. But only if charity is practiced.

          May the Holy Spirit aid you in understanding and may God bless you richly!

          Doug  


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