HISTORIC REVISIONISM: Left Attacks Religion As Enemy Of Science

Religion Is The Father Of Modern Science, Not Its Enemy

I am currently preparing to teach a class on Christian apologetics for my church.  As a philosophically/scientifically oriented Christian, this is a subject for which I hold a great passion for this subject.  I also hold a bit of hostility toward those who revel in ridicule toward those who believe in God – especially those who do so by claiming ‘science’ while using straw man arguments against people of faith.  Aside from the fact that straw man is a fallacy, which negates any claim to hold an allegiance to the scientific method, such attacks are deceitful.  So, when I saw this story, I immediately knew I had to use it as an opportunity to show that both of the men in it are among those deceitful persons who claim science while using fallacious, straw man arguments solely to ridicule people they do not understand:

‘Religion Is the Enemy of Science’: Bill Nye Joins Bill Maher in Lambasting Creationism

Scientist Bill Nye and comedian Bill Maher targeted Republicans and religious individuals as enemies of science, especially in regard to the growth of the U.S. economy and overall human progress, while lambasting creationism and spiritual fervor.

First, if you read the series of posts on The OYL about the Progressive movement (and collectivist ideologies in general), you will find that I have repeatedly explained that these people believe their ideas are based in ‘science.’  And I have explained that, in the name of this ‘science,’ atrocities such as the Holocaust and Planned Parenthood – a eugenics program expressly designed to rid American society of blacks and other ‘undesirables.’  This is not a new assertion.  Though I came to it independently, it is essentially the same conclusion drawn by C.S. Lewis, as well as the authors in the following link:

C.S. Lewis On The Danger Of “Science”

Legendary scholar, writer and Christian apologist C.S. Lewis (1898-1963) more than a half century ago, warned about how science (a good thing) could be systematically perverted to attack religion, deconstruct law and destroy human freedom (a bad thing). In this essential documentary, “The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case Against Scientism,” noted scholars analyze Lewis’ prophetic warnings about the political corruption of science (scientism) or the efforts to use the scientific method to explain, control, enslave every part of human life and how Lewis’ predictions are essential for us today.

The Progressive model is that of a ‘scientifically engineered society.’  The problem is, the very people claiming science as their authority do not understand nor follow the scientific method.  For example: one cannot start by asserting that everything must be explained in material terms.  Nor can one exclude any possibilities – even those termed ‘supernatural.’  This is the negation of the scientific method.  True science observes, hypothesizes tests, observes and re-hypothesizes until it arrives at a reasonable, testable, and consistent hypothesis that explains all of the observed phenomena.  Those who insist there is no Creator violate both of these principles before they even begin their observation, thus, they have rejected science.  Therefore, whatever they may claim, what follows is not science but a form of religion.

Furthermore, the assertion that religion is an enemy of science is pure dogma with no basis in reality.  The truth is that modern science owes its existence to Christian thinkers and, more importantly, to the Bible, which actually supports reason and exploration/testing of the physical world.  The following links contain a great deal of information detailing the long list of just Christian thinkers who contributed to the development of modern science.  And, lest I be accused of citing only Christian-friendly sources, the last link is from Wikipedia, and you should scroll through the list in that link.  You might be surprised at the names listed therein.

Christian Influence on Science: Master List of Scores of Bibliographical and Internet Resources

List of Christian thinkers in science

Now, let’s address the specific straw man Mahre is setting up: the ridicule of creationism.  I start by stating that I do not believe the Bible tells us the universe was created in six, twenty-four hour days.  This is partly because, if one bothers to read Genesis, one finds that the sun was not created until day three.  But more than this, in the original Hebrew, the term commonly translated as ‘day’ actually means an indeterminate period of time.  Those who believe that the world was created in six, twenty-four hour days have largely been deceived by bad translations of the Hebrew text and a lack of knowledge and understanding of the early Hebrew culture.  The Truth is, creation, or the better term, Intelligent Design, is quickly becoming accepted as the most probably explanation for the existence of this universe.  This would turn the joke on Mahre – if he were open to reason.  He is not.  He has already admitted he has a closed mind.

There are many serious, Christian scientists, and they have offered very reasonable arguments for Intelligent Design as the best answer to many of the questions science has not been able to explain.  Furthermore, they note that the Bible actually describes, admittedly in simple terms, the same cosmology that modern science now accepts as reality.  Here is part one of a video series by one such Christian Scientist.  While he may seem dry to many, I would strongly recommend you take the time to watch all seven parts of this video series – especially if you are one of those who believes creationism is a myth.  You might be surprised to find that science has actually proven that the universe was created by what can only be described as a ‘supernatural’ act:

The notion of creationism/Intelligent Design is further supported by recent developments in biochemistry.  Here is just one of the arguments for the biochemical evidence of Intelligent Design:

Irreducible Complexity: The Challenge to the Darwinian Evolutions of many Biochemical Structures

Michael Behe’s Critics Misunderstand Irreducible Complexity and Make Darwinian Evolution Unfalsifiable

Now, the evidence I have presented to you may not be enough to convince the skeptic.  However, if one holds a faithful allegiance to the scientific method and to logic/reason, the evidence is more than sufficient to demonstrate that Intelligent Design is the best explanation for the actual observations science has observed concerning the origin and history of this Universe.  At the same time, if o0ne grants the Bible the truth of what the original Hebrew text actually says, it is clear that the Bible describes the origin and early history of the universe exactly as modern science has discovered it to be.  Personally, I find it interesting that a document shown to be at least 3,500 years old would have described the true nature of this universe – especially in light of the fact that we didn’t know it was reality until the last fifty years.  But, as always, I’ll leave it for you to decide for yourself.