Anticipating the Future of Science and Faith

Anticipating the Future of Science and Faith

The start of a new year provides opportunities to remember, but most of all it’s a time to look forward. What do we feel when we face the horizon of the future—hope or dread?

Though the future can be a scary prospect, Scripture is filled with reminders to “be not afraid.” Paul admonishes believers to “not be anxious about anything.” David writes, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”

One thing I’ve learned to not fear is the impact of scientific discoveries on Christianity. As a college student, I harbored a secret anxiety that science might prove the Bible false—and then where would my faith stand? I doubt I’m the only believer to experience this kind of uneasiness—in fact, I think fear is a likely motivator behind the hostility that sometimes erupts between the church and science.

However, thanks to my time with Reasons To Believe, I’ve found that scientific discoveries consistently support the case for biblical creation and the validity of Scripture. It’s incredible how even the most recent research fits into a biblical creation model. For example, just months ago, results from the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) Project provided major evidence for design. RTB biochemist Fuz Rana writes in 10 Breakthroughs of 2012,

For several decades, biochemists thought a vast proportion of most organisms’ genomes consisted of junk—DNA sequences that once had value, but decayed into nonfunctional elements…the ENCODE Project Consortium reports that a staggering 80 percent of the human genome consists of functional elements…It [the human genome] can no longer be considered a vast wasteland of junk, but rather an elegant system that displays sophistication in its architecture and operation, far beyond what most evolutionary biologists ever imagined.

And speaking of the future, RTB founder Hugh Ross’ article post for Monday, January 7, will expound on the support for biblical creation that comes from the study of extrasolar planets. Though astronomers assumed they would find many planets similar to those in our own solar system, the research is proving Earth and its planetary neighbors unique. Hugh argues that these discoveries show the necessity of just-right cosmic conditions for the support of advanced life—and this fine-tuning, in turn, points to the necessity of a Creator.

These discoveries and others demonstrate the fact that believers can anticipate scientific findings with excitement, not fear. The more I learn about science, the more assured I am—and I hope you are too—that faith in Jesus Christ is well-placed and well-founded.

— Maureen

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