Are Christianity and Science Inherently Opposed?

Christianity and science don’t negate each other.

We’re going to take a brief look at that today with two examples - one religious and one scientific.

And what better place to start than “in the beginning”?

Does Science Contradict Genesis 1?

It’s often said that the Bible is incompatible with modern science.

A prime example many go to is the creation account of Genesis 1.

How can evolution be true, they say, when God created humanity alongside the animals?

My response to that is - stop reading Genesis like it's a science textbook.

The Bible does touch upon facts about physical reality, but it is, first and foremost, a theological work. 

Genesis 1 is a theological account of the universe, linking it back to God as the source and authority of creation.

The physical processes themselves aren’t the point - the point is that God is the central figure behind the universe.

So it should come as no surprise that the writer of Genesis 1 wasn’t concerned with describing evolution. 

There is a gap of centuries between the time the Bible was written and when the modern discipline of scientific analysis appeared. So why would Genesis 1 adhere to its principles? 

Whether or not evolution happened feel free to keep debating, just don’t involve Genesis in it because that’s not a question it’s interested in answering.

Intelligent Design

The “teleological argument” for God’s existence uses scientific observations to support belief in God.

Often called “intelligent design”, this argument states that the conditions of life on Earth are so specific that they must have been explicitly put into motion by an intelligent creator.

The logic isn’t hard to see. After all, there are seven other planets in the Solar System - how many of them have life comparable to that of Earth?

Even Young Sheldon got in on the discussion:

^{“…the precision of the universe at least makes it logical to conclude that there’s a creator.”}

The only reason we’re aware of the highly unlikely and intimately designed conditions of our planet is through science.

So while the teleological argument doesn’t definitively prove the existence of the Holy Trinity, it does lend credibility to the Christian belief of a Creator God.

People can argue from all kinds of angles, but I hope one thing is clear after today - Christianity and science aren’t opposites. 

But don’t take my word for it, take the lives of the many influential scientists who were, themselves, Christians.

That’s what we’ll explore tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

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