Faith and science both refer to knowing and knowledge. Science claims to have reliable knowledge, gathered through observation and (experimental) verification. Yet, faith typically refers to the certainty of things that are not verifiable through direct personal observation or experimentation. Both involve knowledge that is accepted as reliable and true. Both rely heavily on education, where knowledge is passed on: from parents to children, teachers to students, and community leaders to the citizens. Also, teachers learn from other teachers: in classes and the media, through the Internet, and books. But, ultimately, where does the knowledge come from; how do the educators know?
The first source of new knowledge is through observation.
Yet, observations must be recorded or described, and they must be interpreted
before they can contribute to human knowledge.
Observation and interpretation are not objective activities. People from
different age groups, cultural backgrounds, and periods in history make
different observations when they witness similar events. When we make
observations, we first focus on the anomalies: the things that appear different
from what we expect them to be. Yet, if
they are too different we may not even see what is going on. Next, as we try to interpret the things we
have just seen, we can only do so in context with our prior knowledge, whether
this was obtained through education or personal experience. Our (personal or
communal) body of knowledge does not just consist of facts; the facts are
connected to specific interpretations and incorporated into a particular
worldview.
Is the global climate warming at unprecedented rates? Are we
past the global peak in oil production? Are GM foods safe? Can Native tribes learn about medicinal
plants through contact with spirits? How did Ed Leedskalnin build his Coral
Castle*? Although the scientific method
(of acquiring knowledge) requires repetitive experimentation, today’s scientists
are involved with many problems where this cannot be done. Also, those who make
the observations typically have their own agendas, such as: they expect to see
a negative environmental impact from modernization; they want to promote GM
foods; they deny that spirits exist or that miracles occur. The researcher typically shares the worldview
that is dominant in the culture of his place and time. We all know that strict communist
regimes demand their scientists to promote the communist worldview, and we are
not surprised to see that scientists in Islamic societies favor interpretations
consistent with their faith. So, in North American academia, we ought not to be
surprised that atheistic interpretations are favored. Reference to a god (or intelligent design)
are typically dismissed as unscientific (meaning: not consistent with the
prevailing worldview), and the proponents of such ideas are often expelled from
academic positions**.
If two thousand years ago -in Jerusalem- a man who had been
crucified walked out of the grave, and if –against all odds- there is an
amazing chain of witnesses to testify to this event***, then those who bother
to find this evidence may still come to different conclusions. Historians, who
recognize the evidence yet insist that miracles don’t happen, will continue to
deny that it took place. Christian faith
hinges on the fact of the resurrection of the crucified Christ. Observation, therefore, is a crucial
component of Christian faith. Just as in science, however, almost all the
things that we “know”, we have learned from teachers whom we trust.
Years ago I regularly
went with a friend to Saturday morning men’s breakfasts at a downtown church.
For one of those mornings I had invited him to join us afterwards at home. Just
that morning the breakfast talk was about the Creation story of Genesis. Later
at home I asked my friend, “What did you think of this morning’s talk?” He did not hesitate, “Ridiculous! Who still believes in such primitive myths?
Nobody has seen serpents talking and such stuff!” I could sympathise with his response, for in
today’s Age of Science, this is the commonly held worldview. Yet, I asked him, “O.k.,
What is your story of the beginnings? Do you believe humans
evolved from complex animals, which evolved from simple animals, and ultimately
from lifeless things like rocks?” He
replied, “Well, something like that!” I
concluded, “Well, that’s just as fantastic! Nobody ever saw humans come from
animals or living things from lifeless things!” How do you know your
story is true? He defended himself by
reminding me that today’s scientists all seem to agree on this. So, I
concluded, “You believe your silly story, because you trust in scientists who
have never observed what they insist happened; I believe my incredible story,
because it’s the story that Jesus accepted as the truth. Which source is most
reliable? The Bible claims that Jesus
was present at and actively involved with creation. And he has proven that he is truth by
predicting his resurrection and then walking out of his grave. Finally, my friend admitted that he had been
born in a Christian family, but that later he decided to reject the teaching of
the church. He acknowledged his bias when it came to choosing between two
unlikely stories.
There is yet another way in which humans gain knowledge! When
we restrict human information sources to observation and education, we implicitly
assume there is no God or other spiritual being, who has passed on knowledge to
humankind. When I ask people in modernized countries, “How do tribal people
know which plants can be used to heal specific problems?”, the standard answer
is, “By experimentation and by passing on this knowledge though the
generations.” Yet, if this is what we
say, we are showing little respect for or comprehension of tribal cultures and
their traditional methods. For, they themselves
would say that such knowledge is acquired through shamans who receive specific
instructions from the spirit world. In
western culture, “we” don’t believe there is a spirit world, and therefore we
fail to observe or accept the explanations tribal people offer.
Modern science views humankind at the center of the
universe. Anything we know must come from our efforts to observe,
interpret, and apply. Yet, if we would
shake off our secular (read: atheistic) bias, we should recognize that God,
gods, or spirits may know more than we do, and that they might be able to
communicate such knowledge to us. In
other words, we can know things not only through education and personal
observation (or experience), but also through revelation by supernatural
beings. People from all times and places
knew about this, but modern man (with his atheistic bias) has cast this from
his mind.
From where
do we get the idea to divide a year into 52 weeks? There seems to be no basis
for it in the periods of sun or moon or stars!
The Bible tells us that God created all things (on the earth) in six
days, after which he rested on the seventh day.
If we don’t accept there is a God, who revealed this to us (in images
and words that we might comprehend), we are forced to conclude that ancient
cultures came up with the idea of using weeks of seven days.
Years ago we
had a neighbor, who had grown up in the R.C. church, but later became an
atheist. As he had a great respect for modern science, I challenged him, “How
can you be so sure there is no God? Why is your mind so strongly opposed to this?” He thought it was most logical, but he had no
proof at all. One day, I told him, “I
figure that spirits (which you have declared non-existent) have influenced your
mind! In rejecting God, you have opened your
mind to the Enemy’s brainstorm sessions so that you accept for certain and true
the things that you cannot observe and verify! By denying Satan’s existence,
you have become his easy prey!” This is
the faith of an atheist!
So, it seems that science and faith both rely on education,
observation, and revelation. True faith
can never just rely on hearsay. At the very least it is informed and confirmed
by the Holy Spirit. Also, if we grow in
personal relationship with God, we must come to personally experience His
presence and His power. If we put God in the center of our lives through true
faith, we must come to experience God, as He is the One who, by His Spirit,
dwells in us!
*http://paranormal.about.com/od/moremadscience/a/coral-castle-secrets.htm
**Ben Stein, “Expelled” *** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ay_Db4RwZ_M
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