UNSCIENTIFIC?

UNSCIENTIFIC?
(Craig Thomas)

In my professional life I was blessed to have obtained advanced degrees (masters, doctorate) in the sciences.  Psalm 111 contains a verse that is particularly important to the world of science.  In verse 2 the psalmist writes:  “The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.”  The overwhelming majority of so-called scientists in today’s world reject God.  They also reject the Bible as a revelation of God’s mind and will.  The words of the late Carl Sagan succinctly sum up the worldview of most of today’s scientific community:  “The Cosmos is all that is or was or ever will be.”

This worldview eliminates God from the picture.  Sadly, they belittle anyone who believes in God and the Bible.  A common epithet hurled at believers is that they are “unscientific.”  In other words, if you believe in God or the Bible you cannot be a legitimate believer in the value of science.  And certainly, if one holds biblical beliefs and standards, he/she can never qualify as a legitimate scientist.  No, you are more on par with those who believe the earth is flat, the earth is at the center of the solar system, the Loch Ness monster is real, and Santa Clause lives at the North Pole.

Those of Carl Sagan’s ilk would have us believe that every person of note in science is a godless, materialistic, evolutionist like himself.  Nothing could be further from the truth!  During my years in the world of science I rubbed shoulders with many great scientific minds that believed in God and the Bible.  Furthermore, the Carl Sagan’s of this world like to hide an especially important fact:  Some of history’s greatest scientists were believers in God and the Bible!  I encourage you to Google something like “great scientists who were believers in the Bible.”  You will find a great deal of good material listing many of the true “heavy weights” in the history of scientific discovery who were believers.

One great example is Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) a German mathematician and astronomer.  He is a key figure in the 17^th-century scientific revolution.  He is best known for formulating, with super accuracy, the laws of planetary motion in our solar system.  His works provided the foundation for Sir Isaac Newton’s theory of universal gravitation.  Newton, by the way, was another Bible believer.  His great volume, Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (1687), is still considered one of the greatest achievements in science.  In fact, Newton wrote more on religious themes than scientific ones.

Kepler expressed an attitude toward scientific discovery that fits Psalm 111:2 very well.  As he pursued scientific discoveries he said, “I was merely thinking God’s thoughts after Him.”  He knew the truth:  God is the Creator of the Universe (Gen. 1:1) and all scientific discovery is merely pursuing the knowledge God created.  Indeed, “The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them.”  The worldview of Carl Sagan and his allies is wrong!  Belief in God and His word is not illogical!  In fact, as verse 10 of today’s psalm says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.”  The greatest scientific minds of the past recognized that; and so do those today!

Here is just a “short list” of famous scientists of the past who were believers in God and His Word.  Carl Sagan and his ilk would belittle their worldview.  What a shame!

Biology:

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895):  developed the science of medical microbiology, developed the germ theory of disease, vaccinations (rabies, anthrax); also made many discoveries in chemistry (e.g., symmetry of crystals; also proved spontaneous generation of life does not occur).

Gregor Mendel (1822-1884):  father of the modern science of genetics.

Physics:

Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727):  discovered the law of gravity, developed laws of motion, co-discover of calculus, invented the reflecting telescope, considered one of the most influential scientists of all time.

Lord William Kelvin (1824-1907):  energetics, thermodynamics.

Astronomy: 

Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543):  developed heliocentric model of the solar system.

Johannes Kepler (1571-1630):  celestial mechanics, physical astronomy.

Electronics: 

Samuel Morse (1791-1872):  co-inventor of Morse code and helped develop the commercial use of telegraphy.

James Clark Maxwell (1831-1879):  electrodynamics, statistical thermodynamics.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867):  electromagnetism, field theory.

Medicine:

Joseph Lister:  developed the science of antiseptic surgery (contemp-orary of Louis Pasteur and applied Pasteur’s germ theory to surgery).

Georges Cuvier (1769-1832):  developed the sciences of comparative anatomy and vertebrate paleontology.

Chemistry:

Robert Boyle (1627-1691):  regarded by many as the first modern scientist and founder of modern chemistry, also developed science of gas dynamics.

Humphrey Davy (1778-1829):  Developed the science of thermo-kinetics (Michael Faraday was his lab assistant).

Mathematics:

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662):  developed geometry and probability theory, invented the mechanical calculator, also developed basic concepts in fluid dynamics and concepts related to pressure and vacuum.

Other:

Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626):  considered the father of the scientific method (empiricism).

Charles Babbage (1791-1871):  invented the first modern computer.