“Science vs. Religion”

No Neutral Ground

Do creationists live in the Dark Ages because they won’t get in step with popular scientific opinions of the Big Bang, long ages, and particles-to-person evolution? An evolutionist may say, “Go ahead, sing your hymns and tell your Bible stories of six-day creation, Noah’s Ark, and Jonah and the whale. But when it comes to science, leave those preconceived ideas and join me here on neutral ground.”

But there’s no neutral ground—not when it comes to interpreting origins. Everyone must interpret the evidence through a worldview or a belief system about the past. The two basic starting points are God’s Word or man’s word.

The argument of “science vs. religion” attempts to paint evolution as a scientific fact and creation as a religious fairy tale. However, both evolution and creation are belief systems about the past. Particles-to-person evolution is an idea of men based on anti-God and anti-biblical philosophies, such as naturalism and materialism. Creation is based on the Bible, which claims to be the Word of the Creator God. The scientific method cannot prove evolution or creation since both are in the category of historical (origins) science (rather than operational science—think scientists in lab coats, making predictions and conducting experiments).

Historical Evidence of the Bible

When someone challenges Voddie Baucham by saying, “You can’t prove the Bible by the scientific method,” he responds that you couldn’t prove that George Washington was the first US president by the scientific method, which requires something that is observable, measurable, and repeatable.1 History isn’t judged by the scientific method but by another set of evidences, such as eyewitnesses.

History isn’t judged by the scientific method but by another set of evidences, such as eyewitnesses.

Baucham, an apologist and the dean of theology at African Christian University in Zambia, believes in the veracity of the Bible for the following reasons: “It’s a reliable collection of historical documents written down by eyewitnesses during the lifetime of other eyewitnesses. They report to us supernatural events that took place in fulfillment of specific prophecies and claim to be divine rather than human in origin.”2 Baucham’s answer is based on this text of Scripture:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:16–21)

Rather than believing “cleverly devised myths,” such as evolution, biblical creationists confidently trust the Word of God, including the first verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). The evidence for the Bible includes eyewitness writers, claims of divine authorship, fulfilled prophecies, historical accuracy, miracles, internal consistency, a unified message, archeological finds, and manuscript evidence. Read it for yourself! Written over hundreds of years through dozens of authors, the Bible presents a unified message—God’s plan of redeeming and reconciling sinful mankind to himself forever for his glory.

By Faith

Because the Bible is trustworthy, Christians do not have blind faith, but confident assurance in God and his promises (Hebrews 11:1). This faith does not stop at spiritual things—it encompasses the sciences, including faith in God as Creator.

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. . . . And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. (Hebrews 11:3, 6)

God will hold people accountable who disbelieve the evidence in creation and his Word. Why don’t they believe—is it for lack of evidence? No, man suppresses the plain truth because our sin nature gives us hard hearts that love sin, pretending we are not accountable to the God who made us.

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools . . . .” (Romans 1:18–22)

Science Makes Sense in a Created Universe

Since the Creator and his attributes are evident from creation, the argument of “science vs. religion” is a false dichotomy, as Voddie Baucham explains:

This is not to say that Christian Theism is anti-science. On the contrary, it was Christian Theism that gave rise to science. Scientists such as Galileo and Copernicus believed in an intelligent, orderly Creator whose creation could and must be studied in an orderly fashion. It is Naturalism (with its insistence on the world materializing out of nothing) that flies in the face of true science. If the world has no purpose or design, what good is science? If there are no absolutes, how can we rely on our scientific discoveries?3

Baucham explains that we discover the truth by studying God’s general revelation—creation—as well as God’s special revelation—the Bible.4 He laments the “abandonment of the hard sciences by the Christian community,” since it is the “secular humanists [that] are at a distinct disadvantage due to the inconsistency of their worldview.”5

Let’s briefly look at some of those inconsistencies.

• Why does the universe follow orderly mathematical laws? Without this uniformity, science would be impossible. How could scientists make predictions and conduct experiments without the laws of physics? The existence of immaterial laws that control material things doesn’t make sense in a random-chance universe that consists only of matter in motion. But it makes perfect sense in a universe created and upheld by Jesus Christ (Colossians 1:16–17). Astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle says, “Evolutionists can do science only if they rely on biblical creation assumptions (such as uniformity) that are contrary to their professed belief in evolution.”6

If evolution were true, there wouldn’t be any rational reason to believe it!

• How can we understand science? If goo-to-you evolution were true, our thoughts would be meaningless chemical reactions of the brain. Lisle says, “If evolution were true, there wouldn’t be any rational reason to believe it!”7 We don’t see apes or poodles performing experiments with vials and microscopes or organizing origins debates. Mankind can understand science because we have been created in the image of God.
• Why do we find design in nature? Think about the soaring eagle, the humming beehive, the seeing eye. Design indicates a designer. The world we live in is no accident. When we view creation, we should praise the power and wisdom of the Creator.

The only disconnect between science and the Bible is mankind’s sinful unbelief. Creation displays the Creator’s glory so unmistakably that no rational person can be excused on the basis of ignorance, and mankind would do well to search it out (Proverbs 25:2).