Month: February 2014 Page 1 of 2

II Timothy 1:5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

In my previous post, I intentionally excluded quotes from the scientist who many would consider the most influential of all time – Sir Isaac Newton (see the Editorial Note below).  Newton’s faith was strong, and he saw his role in science as his opportunity to fill in details about God’s creation.

“It is the perfection of God’s works that they are all done with the greatest of simplicity.  He is the God of order and not confusion.”

“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.”

“I find more remarks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.”

“Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors.”

“He who thinks half-heartedly will not believe in God; but he who really thinks has to believe in God.”

Newton would be sorely disappointed that many of today’s scientists have failed to stand on the shoulders of their faith-filled predecessor giants.  The professors of atheism, so absent in Newton’s time, have magnified in our time.  Their half-hearted thinking has poisoned the faith of our nation.  PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WOULD CALL TO REMEMBRANCE THE UNFEIGNED FAITH OF TRUE INTELLECTUAL GIANTS IN TIMES PAST.  The perfection of God’s works should draw us back to faith, not away from it.

EDITORIAL NOTE:  In our nerdy household, my wife and I argue about whether Newton or Einstein is the greatest scientist of all time.  She thinks Einstein, and is wrong.

Romans 1:20-22 “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.  Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools”

Though America prides itself on intellectualism in the pursuit of science, engineering, and technology, we have drifted away from the sound Bible-based thinking that characterized the forefathers in these fields.  Consider the following quotes:

Nicolaus Copernicus: “The Universe has been wrought for us by a supremely good and orderly creator.”

Galileo Galilei: “Both the Holy Scriptures and Nature proceed from the Divine word, the former as the sayings of the Holy Spirit and the latter as the most observant executrix of God’s orders.”

Michael Faraday: “Speculations, man, I have none.  I have certainties.  I thank God that I don’t rest my dying head upon speculations for ‘I know who I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day.”

Lord Kelvin: “I believe that the more thoroughly science is studied, the further does it take us from anything comparable to atheism.”

Louis Pasteur: “The more I study nature, the more I stand amazed at the work of the Creator.  I pray while I am engaged at my work in the laboratory.”

These men did not see the existence of God as a threat to their intellectual pursuits.  Nor did they see science as a threat to the Lord.  In fact, they saw the truths of the universe as further proof of a loving God.  Furthermore, they considered it their ministry to reveal the truths of God’s designed universe.

Today’s intellectuals profess themselves to be wise.  Without admitting their naturalistic assumptions, they carefully craft textbooks where man’s wisdom is elevated and where God is excluded.  The founders of modern science would be ashamed at how atheism has hijacked a pursuit they found as further validation of God’s magnificence.  They would be equally ashamed at Christians who have abandoned the God-given beauty of science as an avenue towards understanding God’s wisdom.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICA WOULD RECOGNIZE THE FOOLISH NATURE OF WISDOM APART FROM THE LORD.  We are vain in our imaginations when we consider ourselves wise and there is no excuse for doing so.

I Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear”

I Thes 5:21 “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”

Proverbs 19:2 “Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.”

Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”

Bible-believing Christians have strengthened the hands of secular scientists by our anti-intellectual spirit.  We have created a dichotomy between science and Christianity when we should see God’s word, God’s creation, and God’s laws of logic as complementary in their intent – to discover God’s truth.  In doing so, we have isolated ourselves in our own ivory tower and set up a division between those who value analytical thinking and those who value God’s word.  In part, we are labeled as ‘ignorant’ because we have chosen to isolate ourselves from science instead of engage with science.  Dogmatic opposition to strong scientific evidence regarding topics like climate change, on which the Bible is neutral, furthers the prevailing thought that we are zealots instead of thinkers.  The Bible wants us to be thoughtful as well as zealous.

Our minds were designed by God, and we are to use them to their maximum extent.  When we fail to do so, we demonstrate a lack of faith in God that His Christianity can stand up to evidence and logic.  God’s word is 100% true, and God doesn’t want us to avoid analytical thinking because we fear that it will overwhelm His truths.  It won’t.  By separating ourselves from science, we illustrate a profound lack of faith to an unbelieving world that is eager for us to answer them.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD EMBRACE AND NOT FLEE FROM AN INTELLECTUAL SPIRIT.  God wants us to prove all things, both to ourselves and to an unbelieving world.

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.”

Hebrews 11:3 “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

On February 4^th, Ken Ham and Bill Nye debated the origins of the universe and humanity.  During the debate, Mr. Nye’s most overblown argument was highlighted through his multiple claims that the innovative ability of our nation and our entire economic future hinge on this one issue.  According to Nye and others, those who don’t believe in the prevailing scientific paradigm on this single issue cannot be critical and analytical thinkers.  In Nye’s mind, this lone issue dominates all other issues in science, engineering, and technology.

I am a creationist, and an analytical and critical thinker.  My beliefs on this issue stem from analytical and critical thinking, the same type of thinking that I demonstrated in my engineering undergraduate degree from MIT and in my engineering master’s degree from Stanford University.  My beliefs as a creationist have never hindered me in my ability to lead large organizations filled with scientists and engineers.

My wife is a creationist, and an analytical and critical thinker.  Her beliefs on this issue stem from analytical and critical thinking, the same type of thinking that she demonstrated in her mathematics undergraduate degree from MIT and in her PhD from UC Berkeley.  Her beliefs as a creationist have never hindered her in her performance as a Division I college professor.

Evolutionists claim that success in all such fields is impossible if you do not agree with them on their chosen issue.  That simply is not true.

What these evolutionists do not understand is that they are trapped in a powerful paradigm, one that blinds them to alternative points of view and contradictory evidence.  In fact, these same evolutionists quickly cry out against the dominant thought during Galileo’s time, fueled by ideological fervor, which clung to an earth-centered universe in spite of contradictory evidence.  Yet, they themselves are quick to cling to the dominant thought in our time, fueled by ideological fervor, which clings to naturalistic processes leading to creation in spite of contradictory evidence.  This seems like anti-analytical thinking to me, especially when evolutionists employ tactics throughout the scientific community to quickly stifle dissent.

PLEASE PRAY FOR AMERICANS TO EMBRACE A WORLDVIEW OF CREATION BY THE GOD OF THE BIBLE.  True analytical and critical thinking are at stake.

II Timothy 3:16-17 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

In Public Law 97-280, the 97^th Congress recognized “our national need to study and apply the teachings of the Holy Scriptures.”  Imagine that.  They didn’t stop by calling the Bible interesting literature.  They didn’t hold short by declaring the Bible intriguing philosophy.  They didn’t limit their proclamation by lumping the Bible into a grouping of other religious texts.  They didn’t just call for a casual reading of the Bible.

Instead, they proclaimed the national need to STUDY the Bible and APPLY it, renewing our knowledge of and faith in God in the process.  Through such proclamation, the 97^th Congress explicitly recognized that the Bible was not a book written by man, but by God.  They recognized that its study was altogether profitable.  They recognized that it would furnish us unto all good works, strengthening us as a nation and a people.

It is no surprise that our rejection of the Bible as a nation has been unprofitable to us.  We have become unfurnished and unstrengthened.  We have become ill-equipped to face tests and challenges.  We have departed from our status as a distinctive and blessed nation.  PLEASE PRAY THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE OUR DESPERATE NATIONAL NEED TO RETURN TO BIBLICAL STUDY AND APPLICATION.  We need to study and apply the Word of God and return to its profitable and formative influence.  We are only 31 years removed from a national call by our legislature to do so.