Science and faith are often portrayed as being at odds with one another.
This really is about as far from the truth as you can get. Science is really investigating the universe that God has made and is extremely useful for refuting atheism.
First of all, the root meaning of the word means knowledge. Science, in a systematic way, seeks to gain and organize testable explanations (hypothesis) and predictions about everything in the universe. The definitions for science specifically state that science looks at the physical and natural world. Science is basically a trial and error way of understanding the world around us. In order for a scientific theory to be a valid theory, it has to be falsifiable. In other words, when you do the experiment, the outcome needs to either prove or disprove the proposed theory. This is all very good. Science limits itself to the physical, natural world that we live in and to testable hypothesis. A problem occurred though when science was being redefined to saying that the only thing that exists is the natural world. Just because science is only able to examine and test the “natural” world, it in no way excludes the “supernatural” or God, it only means that we cannot use science to examine the supernatural or God. There is no scientific way to "prove" that God does not exist, therefore, God and the supernatural must always be a possibility in all scientific hypothesis.
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Since history is something that is in the past, standard scientific procedures cannot be used. For example, we cannot re-create the “Big Bang”. We also do not know if all the current processes on earth or in the universe happened in the same way in history or if they change over time. The “science” that can be used is called “forensic science”. With this branch of science, we look at the clues that have been left by the events and come up with the most probable theory of the original event. Standard scientific methods and knowledge help to come up with this theory. Everyone that looks at the data will interpret it based on their own presuppositions and world view, which will lead to some very different hypothesis and conclusions. Some examples here:
We know that everything that happens has a cause. This is why we even engage in scientific studies. Science has determined that the universe had a beginning, since it is known that the universe is expanding. When you look back, you will at some point come to its beginning. Since time, space, material and energy all started at this point from nothing, something had to cause it to come into being. Since we know from science and the laws of Thermodynamics that matter and energy cannot have existed eternally, because at some point in the past, it would have run out of useable energy. The law of the conservation of matter and energy do not allow everything in the universe to come from nothing. Whatever the “cause” was for the universe cannot be a part of the “natural” world and be subject to its natural laws. It should also be mentioned here that God created a mature creation, so while looking at the expanding universe and trying to determine the starting point may seem like a logical step, it will not be accurate. God told us when He created the universe in His Word.
Scientist have tried to create life from chemicals and have failed. (Article on the failure of scientists able to produce life from chemicals) Even if they could create a chemical form of life; it would still lack the operating system to make it work. Not only that, it would also demonstrate that it takes intelligent design and intervention to produce life. The information law states that information always comes from information. Matter cannot produce information. The other problem that has been discovered by science is that it is extremely unlikely that the required atmosphere and condition for this “first” life to “happen” by chance ever existed on the early earth. Also, just because something "could" have happened, it in no way means that it "did" happen.
It is important to always think of the process for anything to occur. For example, how could an eye develop over the amount of time required by the evolutionary theory? How does the creature live, procreate and die without being able to see? How does chance produce the eye socket, eyeball with its complex structure and the communication system with the brain? Not only that, you need to have the brain develop the process for handling the information coming from the eye and then interpret it into something meaningful. The same can be said for pretty much everything else in the body. How does a creature move and live with just the stub of one leg started, never mind having two? It could not live, therefore, no reproduction, therefore no more creature.
Reproduction is the next hurdle to cross. If you have a living being to start with, it needs both the physical ability to reproduce and the operating system to make it work. Now, let’s look at the process that would be required to have bisexual reproduction where both a male and a female are required for procreation. The first thing that would have to happen is an increasing complexity of the first simple, single living cell. Remember to always think of the process that would be involved. Every change happens, at the most, once every generation. So, the process for an organism to develop into a form that requires both male and female for reproduction to occur would be very interesting (i.e. impossible).
It would require that first of all, one strain of an organism that reproduces by itself, starts to develop the male parts for procreation, all the while still reproducing by itself. Secondly, another strain would have to start producing compatible female parts, all the while still reproducing by itself. Next, these strains would need to be in the same place, at the same time and have a mechanism for them to actually come together to perform the sexual act. Once you have accomplished this, the offspring has to be taken care of until it can do so on its own. All this for just one species, just think of the process that would be required to produce all of the various life form that we have today. Natural selection cannot work if there is nothing to select from. Also think of the delicate ecological balance of our world.
As we look at the Grand Canyon, for example, there are a number of issues if the secular approach is taken. First of all, when a river starts to cut a channel, it just keeps going down, it is not able to create a scene as we see here. The canyon is up to 18 miles wide, so the way that you get a canyon like this is with a lot of water and a little bit of time. A similar situation occurred when Mount St Helens erupted and allowed us to witness how a canyon is formed and the amount of time required to do so. The next issue is that the headwaters of the Colorado river, which was supposed to have cut the canyon, are actually lower than the top of the canyon.
The “Cambrian explosion” has also revealed that when life forms first appear, we see a great variety and complexity, exactly the opposite of what we should see if the evolutionary theory were true. Not only that, but the life forms that we see in the fossil record appear complete and essentially do not change. We also do not see the record of the transitions that would be required between species nor all the failed mutations.
There are many other scientific proofs and arguments that show that our universe was created and that the evolutionary theory is not logically or scientifically correct. Some of these get to be very technical, and much has been written on the subject, so I have limited this discussion to the very basics. The Links & Resources page links to several organizations that have videos and articles dealing with the subject.
To sum up, science has shown us that the universe has a beginning that cannot be explained in natural ways, it had to be created. Life could not have started on its own and could not have developed into male and female life forms. The fossil record shows us that life forms started complete and did not change in any significant way over time. There is an incredible interdependence of everything on this earth that really cannot be explained in a naturalistic way.
The obvious rational, logical and scientific conclusion has to be that the universe and all life was created intelligently and purposefully by an incredibly powerful being that is not a part of this “natural” world. This being is normally described as, and is called, God.
It is exciting to see how science has, and continues to reveal to us the incredible complexities of the universe and all that is in it and the total impossibility of it all happening by “random chance” from nothing.
When you look at all this, it becomes obvious that magic (the universe from nothing, life from chemical soup), random chance, time and natural selection are the gods of the atheist, so to be an atheist requires and incredible amount of blind faith.
God is not going to force anyone into heaven, everyone can make up their own mind and determine where they want to be for all eternity. As Christians, out of love and concern, we present the truth of the Gospel and allow people to make their own choice.
As the apostle Paul discusses this, he makes it clear that it is not an issue of evidence, but rather an issue of the heart.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, (Rom. 1:18-22)
"but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." (Jos. 24:15 NASB)
"But Abraham said, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.' "But he said, 'No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!' "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" (Lk. 16:29-31 )
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (Jn. 3:18)
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Likely the most dangerous doctrine in the church today is Theistic Evolution along with Progressive Creation, the day-age theory, the framework hypothesis and the gap theory that try to put millions of years into the text. Theistic Evolution mixes pagan religion (atheism) with Christianity. In this article I look at the issues of accepting this doctrine and how it totally undermines the Bible and sound doctrine. Just as the Israelites did not totally and exclusively worship the true God by going after the gods of the peoples around them, so the Church today, by accepting this false doctrine, also faces the same type of consequences and loses its relevance and effectiveness for bringing people into a saving relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. If Christian leaders, theologians and Seminaries do not even hold to the Word of God being true, how can we expect the world to accept it and how can we then bring people to Christ? Jesus confronted the religious leaders (Pharisees and Scribes) for putting human teachings and traditions ahead of the Word of God. In the middle ages, the organized church leadership was again confronted for straying from the Word of God and substituting their own regulations. We are facing the same challenge in today`s world as the truth and authority of the Word of God is again being replaced by human teachings. There is plenty of scientific evidence that supports the Biblical account of creation and a world wide flood.
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God (Rom. 1:21-23 )
Calvin Smith Video on the Trojan Horse in Christianity
In Depth article on why old-earth creationists unintentionally undermine inerrancy
Why do we even talk about all this? Why can everyone not just believe what they want? Are there any consequences to what we believe, and consequently how we act? This short article examines the basic possible worldviews and the possibilities of each one being correct. From a logical perspective, only one can be true. The personal and societal consequences can be grave if we base our lives and laws on the wrong worldview.
Videos about a Biblical view of Creation
Ken Ham on the importance of a Biblical view of Creation
Video on the Foundational issues of Creation and Evolution
Ken Ham on Science confirming the Bible
Gary Parker - From Evolutionist to Creationist
Video on Five Atheist Miracles
The Atheist Delusion Video from Living Waters
Evolution vs God Video from LIving Waters
Information on Life from non-Life
Can natural processes explain the origin of life?
Article on the possibility of life from chemicals
Complexity of Life
Video on Marvelous Molecular Machines
Age of the Earth Information
Video on Proteins and Soft Tissue in Fossils
Video of Dr. Snelling on how old the earth looks
Video on the age of the earth with Terry Mortenson
Article on Human and Dinosaurs fossils not together
Andrew Snelling on rapid coal and oil formation
Flood and Fossils
Video of Kurt Wise on the evidence of a Global Flood
Video of Kurt Wise on understanding the fossil record
Video of Kurt Wise on the causes of the flood
Dr Snelling on the fossil record
The Genesis Flood Revisited - Andrew Snelling
Scholarly Article on the Folded Layers in the Grand Canyon affirming the Flood Account
Overview of the Grand Canyon Research
Videos of Flood Account Stories
Video on the Ice Age caused by the Flood and Ice cores
Formation of the landscape at Mount St. Helens (similar to the Grand Canyon)
The Apostle Peter said:
always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; (1 Pet. 3:15)
“Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation"