Re: Separation of science and religion
George Murphy (gmurphy@raex.com)
Thu, 20 Nov 1997 12:21:34 -0500Moorad Alexanian wrote:
>
> At 05:18 PM 11/19/97 -0500, George Murphy wrote:
> >Moorad Alexanian wrote:
> >
> >
> >> What can science say about the world which is of interest to theology?
> ..............
> >Again, what can science tell us about the world that
> >> would be of interest to theology?
> >
> > For starters:
> > The universe is several billion years old, so some ways of
> >interpreting the Genesis creation accounts are ruled out.
> > Physical phenomena obey rational laws but there is some "play"
> >in the connections between events. Thus we have a context within which
> >to understand God's action in the world as kenotic, rational, and free.
> >Among other things, this means that it is not scientifically absurd to
> >pray for things.
>
> What I get out of Genesis is that there is a God who created and that which
> was created was good. Note that physicists often emphasize the beauty of
> their mathematical formalism underlying their description nature, e.g.,
> Einstein, Dirac. However, Scripture indicates goodness rather than beauty to
> describe created nature. Perhaps the notion of goodness is more relevant
> than what some Christians do of attempting to get science out of Genesis. I
> believe that it is a waste of time to do the latter. I understand that in
> many cases this is done to counteract purely scientific theories of origin.
>
> Science has nothing to do with prayers, therefore, science can say nothing
> about it. Of course, if you believe that science is everything, then it
> would say that praying to a Supreme being is an act of foolishness and the
> person should be committed--they did that in the former Soviet Union.
>
> >> The most devote Christians I have met have not been intellectuals--formally
> >> educated people. They are basic, simple people with a deep love for God and
> >> do not need science to guiding them in their faith.
> >
> > Fine - you don't have to be an intellectual to be saved. But
> >you also don't have to blow your brains out.
> > George Murphy
> >
>
> You do not have to be an intellectual to be saved---we take aspirins every
> day and do not know how it really works but what matters is that it works.
> My point is that those who have a simple faith are wiser than most
> university professors and so-called intellectuals. "Professing to be wise,
> they became fools." Rom. 1:22.
You can keep repeating your claims if you wish, but that
doesn't make for much of an exchange of ideas. "What I tell you three
times is true" isn't a valid method of argument.
George Murphy