Science and belief in God (Boston, MA)

Science and belief in God

SCIENCE AND BELIEF IN GODImmediately after Neil Armstrong s walk on the moon in 1969 and his one small step for man one giant leap for Mankind speech his colleague Buzz Aldrin celebrated Holy Communion in the landing craft. Buzz after whom the toy Buzz Lightyear is named asked Mission Control for silence. Then to mark this historic moment he took Holy Communion which had been prepared for him in advance by his home church. Quite literally the first bread consumed on the moon and the first wine drunk there were the elements of Holy Communion.This symbolic act was quite deliberate. The astronaut wanted to send a watching world the message that the Christian faith and science was completely compatible. Here he was at the cutting edge of science and yet at the same time a believer in God and a churchgoer.The reason why this information is unknown to so many is because at the time The American Humanist Association threatened NASA with legal action if they allowed this religious moment to be made public. They realized its significance and knew that if it was broadcast it would destroy once and for all the bizarre myth that Christian belief and science are somehow incompatible . The truth finally came out in Buzz Aldrin s biography.In reality numerous scientists have come to faith precisely as a result of their study of science. Take for example the conversion of Dr Paul Gentuso who eventually became a medical missionary in Cote d Ivoire. As a young man Paul decided to go to medical school in order to become a doctor. He didn t really believe in God and assumed that his existence was but a random accident of nature. Studying science however was to totally change his thinking.The following are his words In anatomy class we dissected a human hand. In investigating the hand I first removed the skin then isolated the individual tendons and muscles as I worked my way to the bones. The tendons of the hand are aligned in tendon sheaths like self-lubricating pulleys allowing the hand to work in a tireless noiseless almost effortless fashion. It was perfectly designed to carry out all the work it was called to do everything from lifting a small object to lugging a tree trunk. In seeing how each tendon was perfectly aligned along the axis of each finger and how each finger moved in a co-ordinated fashion when tugged by individual tendons it became obvious to me that there was a Creator who had intelligently designed and created the human hand. This was the first time in my adult life that I could say with assurance that a Creator existed. It was a spiritual experience for me. I went from disbelief to certainty based on studying God s creation. Paul s eyes were opened as it dawned on him that the Ultimate Scientistand Designer of life was Almighty God. It is often said by Christians in the scientific community that science merely explains how God makes things work the Bible on the other hand goes further by explaining whyGod created us. As Paul contemplated these truths he gave his life to the Lord and after completing medical school God called him to the mission field. It is a complete myth for individuals to think that science and religious belief are incompatible . Professor John Lennox at Green Templeton College Oxford puts it like this For me as a Christian believer the beauty of the scientific laws only reinforces my faith in an intelligent Divine creative force at work. The more I understand science the more I believe in God because of my wonder at the breadth sophistication and integrity of His creation. Scientists have now discovered that if the information encoded in just a pin head size of DNA was written out in book form those books would stretch to the moon and back over 200 times. As it stands now atheists actually need to have faith the size of a mountain to believe that all this complexity has happened as the result of blind chance. DNA is a language language comes from a mind. You can learn in God s word why everything was created. For instance see Revelation 4 11 in a KJV Bible. It takes a lot of faith to be an atheist Food for thought The Bible is estimated to have been written between 1450 B.C. and 95 A.D. This chart shows scientific facts and principles referred to in this ancient Bible but not actually discovered by humankind until later centuries. Dead sea scrolls historical documentation and other sources all confirm the authenticity of the Bible. Since people had no official knowledge of these scientific facts until more than a thousand years after the Bible was written is this scientific proof that the Bible was inspired by God Scientific Fact or PrincipleBible referenceDate of discovery by manAir has weightJob 28 2516th CenturyThe Earth is roundIsaiah 40 2215th CenturyOceans have natural paths in themPsalms 8 81854Both man and woman possess the seed of lifeGenesis 3 1517th CenturyThere is a place void of stars in the NorthJob 26 719th CenturyEarth is held in place by invisible forcesJob 26 71650Taxonomic classification of matterGenesis 11735Certain animals carry diseases harmful to manLeviticus 1116th CenturyEarly diagnosis of leprosyLeviticus 1317th CenturyQuarantine for disease controlLeviticus 1317th CenturyBlood of animals carries diseasesLeviticus 1717th CenturyBlood is necessary for lifeLeviticus 17 1119th CenturyEarth was in nebular form initiallyGenesis 1 21911Most seaworthy ship design ratio is 30 5 3Genesis 61860Light is a particle and has mass (a photon)Job 38 191932Radio astronomy (stars give off signals)Job 38 71945Oceans contain fresh water springsJob 38 161920Snow has material valueJob 38 221905 1966Infinite number of stars existGenesis 15 51940Dust is important to survivalIsaiah 40 121935Hubert Spencer s scientific principlesGenesis 11820Light can be split up into component colorsJob 38 241650Matter is made up of invisible particlesRomans 1 2020th CenturyPlants use sunlight to manufacture foodJob 8 161920Arcturus and other stars move through spaceJob 38 3219th CenturyWater cycleEcclesiastes 1 717th CenturyLife originated in the seaGenesis 119th CenturyLightning and thunder are relatedJob 38 2519th CenturyHuman beings were the last living things createdGenesis 115th CenturyCredit John N. Clayton