Opus 2016-46: Thirst Is Scientific and Theological

(I need to post this before I go numb reading about the death of Justice Scalia.)

When I teach I love tangents.  Questions generated by a student trying to get me off topic are sometimes the most fertile teaching soil.  I can’t remember what the catalyst was but one of my classes got off onto the relationship between science and history.  I teach history and have taught science.  I am qualified on paper to teach both. 

Eventually the discussion moved to science and religion.  If you are not familiar with any science teachers they have a monochrome view of the world that says science is for thinkers and religion is for non-thinkers.  It is arrogant and patronizing.  I always love to see the look on their faces when I say they go together very well.  As a Christian I believe that God created the reality we think of as the world.  It is stated simply.

(Genesis 1:1 KJV)  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

If He did that then He also crafted the laws of physics.  God understands the limitations of Newtonian physics and also of quantum physics.  He knows about the speed of light and deterioration of carbon 14.  He also inspired the Bible to be written.  There can be no conflict in the truth of both.  We might be wrong in what we understand but that is our problem to work out.

My last post lays the groundwork for this point:  God designed the earth to heal from both natural and man made disasters.  You can look at the article again on Yahoo if you want.

Think about all the times we have been told the world was coming to an end because of human pollution.  Remember the recent oil blowout in the Gulf of Mexico?  It was supposed to destroy the area forever.  The massive oil slicks never developed.  Why?  It seems there is a “new” microbe no one knew about that was designed to consume oil that leaks naturally from the ocean floor.  For the microbes this was just a banquet.  For God it was good planning.

Now we find that the earth absorbs more water when it needs it.  My brother said, “Yes, it is called the ‘water cycle’.”  The earth goes through many changes.  It gets hotter.  It gets cooler.  It shakes.  It rises and sinks.  It was designed that way.

Good science and good theology work together.  God designed it.  That is theology.  That is the who and why.  That gives a basis for ethics and priorities.  Water expands when it freezes.  That is science.  That involves the how and when.  That develops technology and improvements. 

Don’t confuse the two.  Don’t build conflicts that don’t exist.

homo unius libri