(azimuthfloyd;44398)
Hey all,I'm not a Christian, and I know very little about Christianity. I'm curious about beliefs, though, since religions are puzzling and confusing to me. Being confused and all, I'm not sure if my questions will make sense. Forgive me if I seem like a rambling crazy person.So, I know that not all Christians are the same, just as not all Buddhists are the same and not all atheists are the same, etc. To take a large group of people and make a blanket statement would be stupid, so I know my questions will get personal answers and will not get answers for _all_ of Christianity. It seems a large issue in North America today is a debate between the religious world and the scientific world. I do not believe that most Christians distrust science completely, since each day - I assume...correct me if I am wrong - I see Christians driving cars, taking tylenol, drinking Coca-Cola, watching television, etc. These things were all produced with 20th century science, and so it seems Christians generally accept the validity of that particular science.But what confuses me is how many Christians distrust the particular sciences that look at the history of Earth. Why do so many Christians accept _all_ of modern science except, for example, Geology?
I believe that the Bible and science can co-exist, if not complement each other. However I think it is important for us to properly understand the limits of each. The Bible begins by telling us that God is the creator of the universe and everything we see came into being because he willed it to do so. From there the Bible shows us God's plan of salvation to bring us back to himself. The Bible is not a scientific text book and does not give us any scientific information. This is not its purpose. It does however provide much historical information, but that is not what we are focusing on here.On the other hand, science can tell us a lot about the natural universe. From science we have come to understand a great deal about our planet and as science continues to make progress, we continue to learn more. There is still much we do not know or understand. However, science cannot tell anything about God since he exists outside of space and time. The only way we can know about God is because he revealed himself to us through his Word.In areas where science and the Bible seem to contradict, I think it is important for both sides to keep an open mind and ensure that we interpret the available information as best we can.As you can see from what I have said, I am a Christian. I am also a Scientist. I hold a PhD in Chemistry and am currently working for a Geologist. I love science, but I love God more.