I would love to hear others' thoughts on this new Creation Museum built near Cincinnati. I am one of those Christians who does not see it as my goal to be in some battle about science and religion. I just want to try to live my life in a way that is reflecting the life of Jesus. Although many Christians see in the scientific world a direct challenge to their religious faith, I'm not so sure this is the case. When I was in college I remember sitting in a Sunday School Class at my home church where a Junior in college made the comment that he did not believe dinosaurs existed because the Bible does not mention them. My jaw dropped and I thought, and actually said, "are you nuts?" That line from Monty Python and the Holy Grail came to mind. It's when Arthur and his knights are surveying the cave guarded by a fierce creature that they learn is a little rabbit. Arthur and the Knights are feeling at ease thinking about why they got so worked up about a rabbit. The Wizard who brought them there, directing their attention to the ground around the cave, said, "Look at the bones?" And this is exactly what I said to that student after I said, "Are you nuts?" Now, I am a person of faith, and I believe that there is more to life than science. I don't believe science can "prove" everything. But, when science does validly prove something to be true, shouldn't we just say, WOW!, even as Christians.
I mean, how can we as Christians look reality in the face and "just say no." Look at Copernicus and Galileo (for a good discussion of these guys related to faith, read A Heretics Guide to Eternity by Spencer Burke and Barry Taylor). Copernicus and Galileo, through their study and searching and experimenting discovered things that challenged the conventional beliefs of the day which were based on the Bible. Namely, they realized that the earth was not the center of even our own solar system, they concluded that the sun was. I'm sure there are lengthy faith and scienfic discussions that can take place around these issues of creationism and science and I welcome any responses to these questions, especially from those people of faith who struggle in the seeming paradoxes between the two. I would especially like hear some other Christians' thoughts related that new Creation Museum.
I guess I see all truth and reality as God's truth and reality. To trap God's truth into the biblical text seems like human arrogance to me. Or maybe Christian institutional arrogance. I think sometimes the "institutional church" mistakes its interpretation of truth as being God's truth. Of course the scientific world can be arrogant as well in their own denials of truth and reality beyond what one can see, taste, hear, touch, or smell - or experiment upon. The Bible does not really make the claims for itself that we often place upon it, I think. But that is not to say it does not reflect God's truth. I believe it does, especially in the life of Jesus. So where are you on this? What do you think? Is this Creation Museum just a confusing, reality denying enterprise? Or does it reflect God's true reality even in the face of science? And what about truth? How do you understand truth? In terms of revelation or experimentation? Or should there even be this either/or understanding of the truth and realities of life and nature? Maybe it is both/and?
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Faith, Science, and Truth and Reality
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3 comments:
Here's my responses to your questions.
I think there are people who need things explained in black and white. Mystery and uncertainty scare them. The Creation Museum is their answer to keeping everything aligned in a neat package. But the world our God created is full of mystery and I think that God wants to reveal the truths behind these mysteries. One way He does this is through science. If anything, science helps us understand God even better. I really don't think God is hiding anything from us, we are just not yet smart enough to understand.
Over time, we gain more and more understanding. You ask how we understand truth, through revelation or experimentation. I would say both. In fact, revelation is a product of experimentation. Science helps reveal the mysteries, and in turn, brings us closer to God.
Throughout the Bible, God tries to tell man things, yet there are example after example of man not listening. The truth is there, but man is not willing to accept it. Perhaps we are doing this again. God is revealing mysteries to us, yet we are not being open enough to accept them because they contradict long standing beliefs.
Maybe another question to ask is if it's OK to be wrong in our understanding of the bible? It is interesting to me that throughout Jesus's life, he challenged the 'establishment'. He tried to enlighten his followers with a better understanding of biblical teachings. Yet in many ways, today's organized religion thwarts the idea of enlightment by not evolving with the scientific discoveries, which may in fact be God revealing things to us.
Thanks "Doubting Thomas." I appreciate your comments and definitely share much of what you said. It's funny that we believe in what we think is an Almighty God but then we turn around and put limits on how God can reveal truth to the world.
I am quite comfortable with mystery and believe as you say, that maybe in our discoveries (whether they are scientific or not - maybe it's discoveries of insight, intuition, whatever)it is indeed God's revelatory activity and presence.
What if biblical truth related to what many believe are factual statements (and I consider biblical truth as beyond just facts about people, place, times, etc.)are in some way scientifically disproven? I like your comment about organized religion "not evolving with scientific discoveries, which may in fact be God revealing things to us." However, so much of the current Christian institutional religion has built it's foundations on some things that it sees as physical, prvoable facts. What happens when these "facts" are knocked out of the structural walls of faith?
"However, so much of the current Christian institutional religion has built it's foundations on some things that it sees as physical, provable facts. What happens when these "facts" are knocked out of the structural walls of faith? "
What should happen is that the church accept this new information. Instead, what often happens is the church denying the scientific evidence, and building museums to prove it is right. And when this happens, people turn elsewhere for answers and dismiss the church and its teachings altogether. I belong to a message board that talks about sports topics primarily, but also a few threads on other issues of the day. The are several pages and running jokes about the Creation Museum and the people behind it. Instead of helping to prove a point, this museum is actually adding fuel to the fire of non-believers.
To me, the bible is not a book that explains the mysteries of the world so much as it is a book who's teachings transcend these mysteries and guide people on how they should live their lives. The principles and guidelines for living still hold true today, 1000s of years later. That is the truth the sticks with me from the bible. Not which came first, the chicken or the egg. It would be interesting to know the answer, but it won't change our lives nor the outcome of our life on earth.
I think this quote from St Augustine, which I read while reading about the Creation Museum, is insightful:
"In matters that are so obscure and far beyond our vision, we find in Holy Scripture passages which can be interpreted in very different ways without prejudice to the faith we have received,” wrote the fifth-century Christian theologian. “In such cases, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search for truth justly undermines this position, we too fall with it."
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