Why the Question of "Science or God?" is Best Answered With "Both"
How do you answer your kids when they ask you about the science they are learning in school? Specifically, what do you tell them when they say Science contradicts your biblical worldview? A typical question might be, “If evolution is true, why should I believe in God?”
Public schools and society seem to think they have it all figured out. They look at the scientific facts and theories, supported by scientific evidence, and they teach a scientific worldview. That approach never includes Christianity or any model that includes God as the Creator.
In the latest episode of the Clearly ,Christian podcast, I talk with Mount Vernon Nazarene University Biology professor Carrie Beal. She’s an award-winning teacher, an author, a Christian School Board member, and a science teacher. So she has some insight into how science and Christianity don’t just coexist, they need each other to be true.
In this episode, we discuss two chalkboard points which drive the conversation:
Chalkboard Point #1:
We should confidently answer unanswered questions and intellectual skepticism in the word of God and the life of Christ.
This is what happens every day in Christian schools. We aren’t ignoring or discounting science. We combine both and answer questions and skepticism with confidence and conviction in our beliefs. This is what you need to do as a parent at home, too.
Chalkboard Point #2:
Children will absorb the worldview around them
If we leave public school teachers to teach our kids anything they want, they will. As Christians, we need to present a biblical worldview at all times, so that our kids will know the truth when they hear it, and question anything else that doesn’t make sense.
In the podcast, my guest Carrie Beal begins with a concerning observation. “I think when you teach science from a secular perspective, you're losing something”, she says. “If we really want students to understand science, it is all about observations, evidence, and reproducibility. When you approach science without bias, you continue to see God the Creator.
This leads us to a critical question. If science exists without the Creator, why can’t science create? I bring up the idea of replicating frogs’ feet, owl’s vision, and sheep wool. We can create suction cups, binoculars, and velcro, but we can’t recreate life itself.” We look at creation with tremendous awe and say, “Wow, this just works. How in the world could this not be the result of the Creator?”
We also discuss the difficult position Christians find themselves in when pressed to explain their belief. “I think there is a stereotype that Christians fall back on the response, “That’s just how God designed it”. Instead, ask questions, and get back to the bottom line. When you do this, “There can be no other reasonable explanation here other than an intelligent creator who said ‘yep, this is what has to happen for this to work”.
“I think it’s fascinating to me,” says Dr. Beal, “When I think about the secular approach to science is fear in admitting what they don’t know.” That’s when public schools and science seem to simply stop the explanation, instead of introducing uncertainty and a true opportunity to embrace not just science, but science with a biblical worldview.
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