Science and Religion
In my time here on Earth as a Christian, I have been particularly disturbed by those in the evangelical and fundamentalist communities who assert that science is at odds with Christianity. For me, science shows the intricacy and complexity in the design of the universe as we explore and attempt to define the world around us. The more I learn from science, the more I am convinced that there is an intelligence behind the design of the universe. From the variety and beauty of the landscape and heavens, to the amazing design and variation of plants and animals, to the finely tuned conditions of the universe that make life on Earth possible. There are the intricate dependencies of large bodies and galaxies in the universe over unfathomable distances. There is the sheer beauty of it all. I see in all of this, God's artistry and his hand in the mechanisms of evolution and geological time. In fact, it seems to me that God is much more of a a brilliant artist if he creates animals and plants through the process of evolution rather than just plopping them down here on earth in their final forms.
One particular sticking point is the fundamentalist reading of the Genesis account. Some Christians assert that there is only one reading of scripture, and that creation was done in 7 literal days. (Genesis 1:1-2:3) But I believe this is a misreading of scripture. Their argument hinges on the 7 days that the bible lays out for the creation story. But the Hebrew word for day (yom) is not directly translated into the word "Day" in English. Instead it can have many meanings including: part of the daylight hours, all of the daylight hours, twenty-four hours as the fundamentalist would assert, or "A long but finite period of time." I also assert that the genesis account is not a literal history as some would suggest. One thing that I learned in seminary was that you have to be careful to read the different books of the bible in their context and interpret them in their proper literary form. The Psalms are poetry, Revelation is eschatology (not a list of predictions about what would occur within our time to be read like a diviner's tarot cards), Luke is more of a history than Matthew, which is different literature written to a different audience. Genesis is not a single work of literal history. It is a collection of books, some of which are historical accounts, but others may be more allegorical and we know this through the careful work of biblical scholars.
I think it is time to start reading the bible as it was intended to be read, through the lens of the people who it was written for as chapters made up of amalgamations of different authors' writings. The bible and Christianity are not at odds with science, rather they are strengthened by the discoveries of science. And the blend of the two can help us responsibly develop new ideas that would be a benefit to this world. Not to mention, it helps us view the created order with awe and reverence, as God intended.
A good place to start to see the confluence of science and religion is here http://www.reasons.org/ See http://www.reasons.org/videos/biblical-case-for-long-days
One particular sticking point is the fundamentalist reading of the Genesis account. Some Christians assert that there is only one reading of scripture, and that creation was done in 7 literal days. (Genesis 1:1-2:3) But I believe this is a misreading of scripture. Their argument hinges on the 7 days that the bible lays out for the creation story. But the Hebrew word for day (yom) is not directly translated into the word "Day" in English. Instead it can have many meanings including: part of the daylight hours, all of the daylight hours, twenty-four hours as the fundamentalist would assert, or "A long but finite period of time." I also assert that the genesis account is not a literal history as some would suggest. One thing that I learned in seminary was that you have to be careful to read the different books of the bible in their context and interpret them in their proper literary form. The Psalms are poetry, Revelation is eschatology (not a list of predictions about what would occur within our time to be read like a diviner's tarot cards), Luke is more of a history than Matthew, which is different literature written to a different audience. Genesis is not a single work of literal history. It is a collection of books, some of which are historical accounts, but others may be more allegorical and we know this through the careful work of biblical scholars.
I think it is time to start reading the bible as it was intended to be read, through the lens of the people who it was written for as chapters made up of amalgamations of different authors' writings. The bible and Christianity are not at odds with science, rather they are strengthened by the discoveries of science. And the blend of the two can help us responsibly develop new ideas that would be a benefit to this world. Not to mention, it helps us view the created order with awe and reverence, as God intended.
A good place to start to see the confluence of science and religion is here http://www.reasons.org/ See http://www.reasons.org/videos/biblical-case-for-long-days
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