Have you ever had a conversation with someone about your faith, and their response was, “I don’t believe anything that cannot be scientifically proven?” That’s a pretty popular argument today among many people who claim to be atheists. The argument is that since God cannot be proven by scientific research, then that is evidence that God does not exist commonly. Usually, they will say that “the burden of proof” is on the Christian to prove that God does exist.
While traveling on a train in Morocco earlier this year, Ken, Cory and I had a conversation with a young man who made such an assertion. Rather than arguing with him, Ken did a fantastic job engaging him on the topic. We asked the right questions that helped him understand that it wasn’t a lack of “proof” that he needed, but rather it was a lack of understanding. The “burden of proof” is not on the Christian to prove that God does exist; the burden of proof is on the scientist who denies God that God does not exist. And when one objectively looks at the realities of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny, the only logical conclusion is that God does exist. Science points to God.
Usually, the person who uses science to deny God, they are using science to alleviate themselves from the burden of acknowledging God. Because when you recognize the existence of God, you not only have to bring a better understanding of our meaning for existence, but also our responsibility in morality, and then answer the question about our destiny.
We should not let those who use science as a shield from acknowledging go off so easy. The burden of proof is just as weight, if not more weighty on them, because when you scientifically and logically ask the right questions of origin, meaning, morality, and destiny, you can only arrive at the throne of God. Robert Jastrow, who was the director of operations at the Goddard Space Center wrote in his book, “God and the Astronomers:”
“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” Robert Jastrow, Dir. of Goddard Space Center
And so we come to our question: Hasn’t science out-paced and disproven Christianity? If we come to church, don’t we need to check our brain at the door? Isn't faith in some divine supernatural the exact opposite of scientific reasoning?
These are the assumptions of many, but even Steven Hawking, a brilliant scientist, arrived at a conclusion when thinking of origin that something could not have come out of anything; there must be something more significant that gave life. But criticism without an alternative is devoid of value. He concluded that life must have been deposited here on earth by aliens millions of years ago. And he called us crazy for our faith?!
The enmity between God and science has not always been there, nor does it need to be there. Additionally, science has proven itself wrong more than right. At the end of the 19th century, Lord Kelvin, an eminent and well- respected scientist, said this: “heavier than air machines are impossible.” Less than two years later, the Wright brothers flew their first plane. A short time later, he said: “radio has no future”; “x-rays are a hoax”. History is littered with rejected scientific theories and discredited scientists.
If science is the gold standard for proof, describe love scientifically. Prove that you woke up this morning. In a murder case, we don’t ask for the murder to be repeated so that we can scientifically observe, record, and conclude. Instead, we look at the evidence; we hear the testimony, we talk with witnesses, and we make logical conclusions. If we truly look at the evidence? regarding the origin, meaning, morality, and destination, the only logical conclusion is that there must be a God
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork (Psalm 19:1)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:1)
I. Origin: Where Did We Come From?
When we talk about God and science, the best place to have a conversation is in Origin: Where Did We Come From? 1. The Bible says that the universe does have a beginning. God designed, created, and brought it into existence.
Could the universe just pop into existence without any explanation at all? That’s a very odd assumption. Or did the Universe always exist without any beginning? It is impossible for something tangible to exist independently. The chair you are sitting in didn’t just appear; someone had to design it, make it, and place it where it is seated. So, where did I come from, and where did the universe come from? The other alternative is that God created the universe as we know it. In light of these other alternatives, the idea of intelligent design far more likely.
2. The Universe also is incredibly designed.
1. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. 2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants, you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon, and the stars, which you have set in place, four what is the man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? (Psalm 8:1-4)
The probability of the conditions for life to exist in the universe is virtually zero. The best supercomputers in the world have struggled to calculate the quantity. We’re not just merely talking about the chance that everything came together, but that the varied gravitational pull, atoms, energies, and proteins need to reach this state of life existing at all is almost zero. The explosive force of the Big Bang Theory to be just the right force would be 1 part in 10^60th power. Sir Roger Penrose, professor at Oxford, suggests the precision necessary is less than 1 part in 10 to the power of 123. If we were to turn all the matter in the universe into paper, we would have too little paper to print the required zeros to quantify this.
British astronomer Sir Frederick Hoyle, illustrated it this way: The chance of everything necessary for the universe to come together perfectly, even to the simplest cell is the same likelihood that a tornado was sweeping through a junkyard and assembling a perfect and functioning Boeing 747. As the Psalmist wrote, the universe proclaims the glory of God, and when we look at the universe, there is no other conclusion!
3. The Universe is also Regular.
Think about the millions of millions of incredible forces that are always at work to keep the universe together. Just a slight variation of our earth’s gravity, magnetic field, or axis could ultimately make earth devoid of life. Yet every day, these forces remain constant. Think about what you have to do to keep the balance in your own life constant. Do you allow that to happen just by chance? No, there is care and control that is required by you to keep your life in balance.
The same is true for the universe. The Bible says that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). If God does exist, we have a perfectly good reason why the universe is the same yesterday as it is today and will be tomorrow because it is being cared for by Someone, who cares for us and His creation.
II. Meaning: Why Am I Here
Science cannot prove or disprove Christianity because the Bible makes claims that fall outside of the realm of scientific inquiry. The reason is that science asks and answers the “how” questions well, but struggles with the “why” questions. Why does the universe work it does? Why is it in existence? Why are we here? Does life have meaning? It is impossible to scientifically quantify these questions
Let me illustrate: a young boy walks into the kitchen to find the kettle boiling on the stove. He asks his father, a scientist – “dad, why is the kettle boiling?” His father replies: “Well, son, it’s because the combustion of gas transfers heat to the bottom of the kettle, which, being a good conductor, transfers heat to the water. The molecules of water become more and more agitated, give off steam, and there is your boiling.” Slightly dissatisfied, the boy asks his mother. “The kettle’s boiling because I’m making a cup of coffee,” she says.
Science and faith are not fundamentally contradictory because they seek to answer different questions. It can’t tell us much about relationships or emotions. Science can look at hormones related to love, but it still fails to explain love. If your concept of human feelings is limited to brain chemistry, then you’re not going to be very fun to be around! It can’t tell us how we should treat others. It can’t tell us who made us. If science is all there is, then it’s pretty depressing – because we are no more than a bunch of cells, a mutated fluke of evolution.
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, (Hebrews 6:19)
What God provides for us that there is a meaning behind our lives. We have something that defines us. Something that provides for us a definition of who we are, why we are here, and what we are supposed to do with our time. Atheism leaves a black cloud of despair.
That we are chance plus time plus matter, Hawkings would say that we are just merely dancing to the beat of our DNA. Is that purpose. Does that define our lives, our relationships, our morality?
III. Morality: How Should We Live
For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,22 covetings, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." (Mark 7:20-22)
Some argue against the idea that there could be a God because a good God would not allow evil. The presence of evil for them is an argument against God. But isn’t this a self-defeating argument. If you deny God because you revile the evil, you are turning the presence of evil back to us. The responsibility is ours alone. This is of itself then renders the need for God, because the human heart is evil. The presence of evil doesn’t disprove
the presence of God has exemplified His existence.
When you talk about evil, you assume there’s good.
When you assume there’s good, you assume there’s a moral law
When you assume a moral law, you must assume a moral lawgiver.
If there is no moral lawgiver, there is no moral law
If there’s no moral law, there is no good
If there is no good, there is no evil.
What is the question? (Ravi Zacharias)
IV. Destiny: Where Are We Going?
With just a few simple questions and arguments, we conclude that the likelihood there is a God is pretty high. Even more, the God of the Bible is who He says He is. There is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julies Caesar was murdered or Alexander the Great conquered the known world. If you deny the Christian claim, then what is your explanation of the universe’s origin, meaning, morality, and your destiny? Science does not disprove God’s existence; it demands his existence. The scientific discoveries in our lifetime have magnified the greatness of God.
What is the destiny you are riding on today? Does science answer that question for you? It cannot. Only God can answer it, and not only did He answer it, But He also gave us the hope assurance of eternal life through His son, Jesus.
Take it to the Cross
Close
Pray
Conversation Starters: During the next week, ask someone who is not a Christian: “Have you ever had an experience in your life that made you think there might be a God?
