The God of the Bible is also the God of Science
This will be my last post before I head down to see family for Easter weekend and Hot Air provided me with a good way to speak about Holy Week and Easter with a post by Bryan Preston: “The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome.” Speaking as someone who has a passion for God along with a passion for the universe around us, it was a perfect post for Holy Week. First off Bryan quotes Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D who is the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (read the post a Hot Air or CNN for more):
I did not always embrace these perspectives. As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked “What do you believe, doctor?”, I began searching for answers.
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My earlier atheist’s assertion that “I know there is no God” emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, “Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative.”
Bryan then adds some of his own experience (again, more can be found at his post):
Eight years at the Hubble Space Telescope project had a similar effect on me. I was never an atheist as Dr. Collins was, and I didn’t head up anything on the scale of the Human Genome Project, but examining the universe in detail through Hubble’s eye at first challenged, and then strengthened, my faith.
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Genesis 1 turned out to be one of the most interesting and profound documents ever written, once you start to get the science of it all. The God of the Bible is the God of the genome is the God of the distant dying star.
You can read more of Bryan’s thoughts on Genesis over at Relevant. The God of the Bible is also the God of science! God created the universe so of course science will work along side religion. They are not subjects that can be pitted against each other (see my posts Creation Science and Science vs. Religion for more of my thoughts on this).
I think Ryan’s post along with Collins’ article lead perfectly into Maundy Thursday, the Cross on Good Friday, and the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. God, the creator of the universe indwelling in Jesus Christ, broke bread and poured wine and invited us into relationship with him in the Upper Room. He then bore our sins for us in suffering and death on the Cross. Then, conquering death, he rose (in real, physical, bodily form [ahem]), providing us a way to live with him in eternity.
You, yes, you, can be a part of the resurrection’s redemptive work. We are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. But Jesus has redeemed us all, you only have to accept it. None of us are deserving, but “the beauty of grace is that it makes life unfair.” God loves you and wants you to understand what he has done for you.
Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!
Hallelujah!
I saw your link over at Hot Air, and the funny thing is when I read Bryan’s post I immediately wondered what you’d say about it, being a science kind of guy. I’m looking forward to checking out the links in this post!
I’m a scientist that believes in Jesus’ religion but the religion about Jesus is an entirely different story. Does that make me an atheist? I guess so.
Pablo, I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that. Are you saying you are Jewish? Being an atheist means you don’t believe in any deity… If you truly believe in Jesus, his divinity, and what he stood for, it is impossible to avoid Christianity.
It’s always fascinating when a man of science forsakes logic in favor of the purely emotional support of religion. Then again, most people have at least one moment when they fear death.
It’s always fascinating when someone assumes that religion is completely based purely emotional support.
Although I have removed myself from any mainstream, organized religion, my Faith is strong and my beliefs profound. I have always believed that religion and science are reconciliable, and that God created science, along with the rest of the universe.
So why did you remove yourself from organized religion? I guess if you are a deist that would make sense, but if you consider yourself a Christian, it seems odd to leave the church family.
>God of the Bible is also the God of science.
Amen!