One of the first lectures my professor gave he mentioned this tension, this chasm between science and supernatural occurrences. And though some of my shared faith may disagree with me, I think he said it best when he said that science and religion need not have a relationship at all. Science can not disprove or prove the existence of God nor explain how miracles occur, so why must become so uneasy when science doesn't want to include God in their lectures of how the world was formed (teach your children at home, right?)? I think we forget that science, though absolutely astounding in the knowledge it brings to mankind about something so vast as our world, still operates within certain boundaries. Lets not forget the scientific method, it is the parameter for experiments and testing hypotheses. It is not for testing God or even the way He created the earth. But my question is why can't I, a Christian, look at science, accept it as science and still believe in God?
For most Christians this is a quandary, given that you think about such things. I think about these things and I would like to tell you what I think in hopes that if you have not begun to think you will start to.
I didn't know I was scared of the "big bang theory", but I was. It threatened me somehow even though I didn't know it. It told me God didn't exist and that we all came from primordial slim without purpose, void of reasoning and eventually we would become monkeys, without purpose, void of reasoning. It was an existential nightmare! It was like when I was afraid of the Da Vince Code" and decided to see the movie in hopes of disarming my fears and when I realized all it was was terrible movie based off a book of some guys imagination, I laughed in absurdity!
Do we even know what we are afraid of?
The big bang theory is defined as :
"A cosmological theory holding that the
universe originated approximately 20 billion years ago from the violent
explosion of a very small agglomeration of matter of extremely high
density and temperature."
Genesis 1:1 says " In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
Now, I ask you this, why are we so adamnt of believing that when it says "God created" it must mean He created the neat little brown, green, blue ball we are all sitting on now? We have put Him in a bedtime story shoe box and placed Him under the bed. Is He not more awesome!!! Could God not only for His pure pleasure have created the earth with a "bang"? A God size firework show? Just imagine it!! The Bible does not say how He did, it just says He did it. And do you think God has told us everything??!!? The magnitude of unknown galaxies is unfathomable to anyone...could He not have some secrets!? I know it might be uncomfortable for some of you, to imagine a God you can't imagine, but get over it...He is not God without His secrets.
With that said, why can't the earth be 4.5 billion years old? Was Adam a man or a baby?? Is it out of the realm of possibility for God to create an old earth?
I just implore you...ask questions! Wonder about what you have been told and know for yourself. Life is too short and God too awesome, to not spend your time seeking to know Him in all His wonder, in all His BIG BANG-NESS!
I agree Chelsey! I am certainly not going to make claims on how God did or does what He does. We have some insights but it is impossible to know everything. I know my God is not a tame lion. His ways are not our ways.
ReplyDeleteGreat writing, Chelsey! I have held similar beliefs for a long time, but I tend to keep them to myself, just because there are so many people out there who assume that scientific evolution theories and Biblical creationism are mutually exclusive.
ReplyDeleteThank you Chelsey for speaking up. I too felt somewhat uncomfortable through parts of this lecture, being a Christian myself. I sat there wondering, how so? Yes and I chuckled at the disclaimer given. I do understand that each of us think differently, but what I do know is that I cant "see" air, but I know that it is there. IJS
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