Many people think there is a conflict between science and Christianity. But is there really?
First of all we need to understand what science is. It’s the study of the natural and physical world. In other words, scientists look at the physical world around us and find out how it works. So they discover things like the law of gravity. Of course, on earth, gravity means that if you drop something it falls to the ground. Scientists discover the fact that water is made of hydrogen and oxygen. These are things that they can prove with experiments and use as the basis for technology. So let me say again, science is examining the physical world and finding out how it works. That doesn’t in any way contradict Christianity.
But there is another world that is outside the physical world, called the spiritual world and that’s where God is. However much the scientists know about the physical world, the spiritual world is not in their area of expertise because it’s not a physical thing. It controls the physical world but it’s not part of it. So alongside the physical world is this spiritual world. Now, many people have experienced something of the spiritual world. When you connect with certain people, you can experience something spiritual: you know that there is something special going on between you that is more than two human computers having something in common. There is a spiritual connection. So God exists in this spiritual realm. But he created the physical realm. And he set it up in such a way that it is reliable. The law of gravity doesn’t work one day but not the next. You don’t wake up in the morning and wonder whether you will put your feet on the floor when you get out of bed. Our lives would be impossible if the world were not built on dependable laws.
So all the scientists really do is investigate these laws, and as a result we can create incredible technology.
But if you want to discover God, you have to look beyond the physical world. There are signs of God’s character in the physical world. Just like if an architect designs a building, there is something of His character in it. But we have to realise that though God is not himself part of the physical world, he created it and controls. And sometimes, when he wants to, he may do something that goes against the normal rules. When he does that, we call it supernatural, or a miracle. You see, the spiritual realm controls the physical realm. And when someone has a big problem they can go to God and he can do something that the scientists cannot understand because it doesn’t follow the normal rules. But it is nonetheless real. A lot of people have experienced miracles, such as divine healing. So science is an amazing thing. God put things in this world for us to discover, to improve our lives and make life interesting. And there are plenty of scientists who believe in God. But for some scientists to say that God doesn’t exist because they can't find him physically isn’t rational. It’s like someone going into a building and saying the architect doesn’t exist because they can’t find him in the building. Anyone who wants to know God needs to seek Him in prayer. They will find they can connect with Him and after that He will start to change their physical world for them. |