God and Science

It is a myth to think that science and Christian faith have a long history of conflict. This ‘Conflict Myth’ is popular and widely repeated on TV as an accepted fact but in reality is not the case. Actually, Christian theism was the culture which gave birth to modern science. 2. Columbus and Galileo are the not the classic examples of the clash between science and faith that they are often supposed to be. 3. The ‘Conflict Myth’ originated in two movements, one in the 18th and the other in the 19th century. The 18th century movement was based in France and was an anti-clerical attempt by philosophers (such as Voltaire) to use scientists (such as Newton) to undermine the authority of the Catholic Church in France. The 19th century was a part of science becoming a separate professional discipline distinct from the gentlemanly hobby of clerics and others that it had been in the past. The conflict was really about scientific professionals seeking to establish their reputation as important proponents of intellectual power in modern society. 4. Science is not necessarily atheistic. Attempting to demarcate science as principally atheistic is a form of special pleading in an attempt to rule out of play certain uncomfortable facts for the atheistic scientist. 5. There is good evidence within science for the existence of ‘Intelligent Design.’ The microbiology of the cell and the cosmological ‘Anthropic Principle’ are cases in point. 6. The real issue is the naturalistic philosophy to which some in contemporary science have become presuppositionally committed. This commitment to philosophical naturalism is a mirror image of the mistake of some early natural theologians. Both attempted to claim too much from science for their ideological agendas. To read the full paper, click here.]]>