Giving too much credit to the devil

Paul Arveson (arveson@oasys.dt.navy.mil)
Fri, 26 Jun 1998 16:34:44 -0400

Someone wrote earlier:
>>>
>>> God's present action seems to be "invisible" to scientific demonstration.
>>>
>>> Lastly, I think it is important to not visualize God's action in creation
>>> as though He were Himself a physical entity.
>>>
>>>Why must there be an apparent reserved place for God's action within our
>scientific
>>>description? How can we even possibly conceive of how spirit interacts
>>>with the physical? We don't even have a clue as to how our own spiritual
>>>nature relates to our bodies - or to how our minds and wills relate to our
>>>brains.
>>>
>>>Any responses?

"John P. McKiness" <jmckines@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu> responded:
>
>I most certainly agree and would go beyond to continue to stress the
>impossibility (and wrongness of attempting) of concord, or reconciliation,
>between Christian faith and science (or culture). (For my Reformed friends
>at Calvin College, I even believe it is impossible to reform science (or
>culture) and unChristian to try; it is only possible to share the Word and
>pray that the Holy Spirit will continue the work of saving the individuals
>around us. Cultural things are a lost cause to me.)
>

John, methinks you have gone too far. By relegating science and culture to
the realm of the unChristian, you have given the devil more than his due.
Why can't cultural things, including science and its data, be gifts
of God? Of course everything needs redemption and improvement; we don't
live in a perfect world. But you sound like one of those who prefer to
live alone out in a hut in the wilderness.

Paul Arveson, Code 724, Research Physicist, Signatures Directorate
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division
9500 MacArthur Blvd., West Bethesda, MD 20817-5700
arveson@oasys.dt.navy.mil bridges@his.com
(301) 227-3831 (301) 227-4511 (FAX)