Is Christianity true? (Science versus faith in God - Introduction)
This blog is part of my series titled “Is Christianity true?” The series addresses four common objections to the truthfulness of the Christian worldview, namely concerns about: (1) the trustworthiness of the Bible; (2) the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection; (3) the compatibility of faith in God with modern science; and (4) the incompatibility of Christian truth claims with those of other worldviews.
This week, we will turn to the question of the alleged clash between modern science and belief in God. Spoiler alert: The domains of science and faith in God are not at war and, indeed, can be easily harmonized. To quote C. S. Lewis, “Men became scientific because they expected Law in Nature, and they expected Law in Nature because they believed in a Legislator.” As will be argued in this series, the modern scientific method was birthed in the minds of committed Christians based upon their belief in an intelligent Creator and the need to learn about His creation through scientific exploration.
Stephen Hawking, a world-famous scientist and one of the most influential scientists of the modern era, died in March 2018. Therefore, when he pronounced years ago that “because there is a law of gravity, the universe can and will create itself out of nothing,” some saw it as the final word on the non-existence of God. He suggested in his writings that true knowledge is accessible only through the scientific enterprise. In doing so, he pronounced philosophy dead—to the undoubted surprise and consternation of his professorial colleagues who worked in the various faculties outside the physical sciences.
Is Hawking correct? Is science the ultimate arbiter of truth? While I’m not a scientist, I have studied both science and this topic extensively. With all due respect to Hawking’s scientific prowess, my studies have led me to the conclusion that his assertion is wrong. Ironically, his declaration that philosophy is dead is a statement of philosophy, not of science. Some people who are not followers of Jesus, however, lean on Hawking’s scientific credibility to dismiss the concept of faith in God out of hand rather than to personally engage in critical thinking.
Many students attending secular universities quickly jettison faith in God as a direct result of assertions by professors that science has replaced the need for a “God hypothesis.”
On the flip side of the coin, many followers of Jesus are uncomfortable with the science-faith debate. They feel out of their depth. As a result, they sometimes privatize their faith to avoid exposing their ignorance on this issue. This is a tragedy in light of Jesus’ command to share our faith in Him with others. Also, the apostle Peter exhorted us to always be prepared to defend our faith (see 1 Peter 3:15). In the remainder of this blog series, we will explore the following three big questions:
Is there a conflict between science and faith in God?
Are there limitations to science? and
Do the latest findings of science lend credibility to the claim that God exists?
Answers to these questions are critically important in light of the high credibility accorded the scientific enterprise in modern culture. Indeed, many students attending secular universities quickly jettison faith in God as a direct result of assertions by professors that science has replaced the need for a “God hypothesis.”
Let’s see whether these teachers have a leg to stand on!
Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash
