Francis Bacon, considered by many to be the father of modern science, said that God has given us two books. One is the Bible. What do you think the other one is? Not the Koran or Upanishads! It is the book of Nature, and according to Francis Bacon and many other great scientists back then, such as Johannes Kepler, the task of science is to correctly interpret the book of Nature. Kepler said the purpose of his investigations of Nature was to discover the rational order that has been imposed on it by God. In his discoveries he believed he was “thinking God’s thoughts after him.” He expected to find universal laws in nature because he believed in a divine Lawgiver. Only in 17th century western civilization, where human minds had been prepared by faith in such a Lawgiver, could modern science have been born. The western mind had been conditioned by thoughts such as those of the apostle Paul writing more than 1600 years earlier, saying such things as: “…since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Kepler knew he was only “thinking God’s thoughts after him.” As his understanding of what has been made grew he gave God the glory that he alone deserves. Kepler’s understanding of the book of nature conformed to his understanding of that other book given by the Creator – the Bible. In fact Bacon believed that to be properly educated one must give ones mind to the study of both books. How reasonable! Since God is the author of both and he does not contradict himself, science could not possibly contradict the Bible.
But what has happened as history moved from the 16th century to the 21st? With such a grand beginning how could modern science have fallen into the scientism of today, which says that science has buried God? The decline seems to have been given its greatest impetus around the middle of the 19th century when a book was published called “The Origin of Species.” According to zoologist and “new atheist” Richard Dawkins, the “scientific discoveries” presented in that book “made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist.” If the origin and development of life can be explained solely through natural processes then God is out of a job! Dawkins and the other “new atheists” rejoice in the so-called “freedom” this gives them. According to them, man is free to make up his own rules for living. Whoopee! But scientific developments of the last two or three decades are showing more and more that Darwin misinterpreted the book of Nature. There really is design, and where there is design there must be a Designer. So the “new atheists” are just inebriated and self-deceived. Having swallowed Satan’s lies, they are without excuse. "The fool has said in his heart 'There is no God'.” Ps.14:1.
1 comment:
Yes, the Bible and Nature.
Nature tells us of the Creator God, and the Bible tells us of the Creator and Savior and Lord God Almighty.
Jonathan Edwards was a very sincere student of nature, and he has written many articles on science that were way ahead of his time.
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