Hey jan,
I like your "integrated" approach. In my view, it is amazing that even
scientifically minded people adhere to a view of religion that excludes
history, geology, etc. I know of two computer programmers and a weapons
research analyst who reject evolution and are YECs. Now, these are guys who
have much more scientific training than I do, but they never seem to let
their scientific training anywhere near their religious beliefs. To me, this
is impossible doublethink, but it seems to work for them. I joined this
listserv partly in order to try to work this religion-science thing out, but
it doesn't really seem to bother them. I'm glad that there are more choices
than YECism and atheism.
-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu]On
Behalf Of Jan de Koning
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 5:59 PM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Science and Religion
Many times I wonder about the use of the words "Science" and
"Religion". Part of my trouble is of course, that I started being educated
in Europe, where the division between Arts and Sciences is not quite so
sharp as here, if it exists at all.
Religion would be, that what directs our entire life, studying,
experimenting, writing, but includes as well the way we do our work. If
that is research, than research is guided by our "religion". It does not
have to be a Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist religion, it may even be
an anti-religion stance.
Personally, I see "Science" as all research that is done guided by our
"Religion". That includes Theology, a human endeavour guided by what we
believe.
The centre of it is our "heart"(in biblical sense: "out of which are the
issues of life", Prov. 4;23): is it directed towards serving God or against
God? For us that is the God we learn about in the Bible.
As I said, Theology is human work. In many instances that the word is
used, I think, the author means "Faith". Our faith directs, or should
direct, all our work to the God we know through Jesus Christ, whose
resurrection and rule we celebrated yesterday.
However many (Christians as well) adhere to a view of religion, which may
include the Bible, but does not include history, geology, language-studies,
biology, law-studies, etc. Often theology is excluded as well, resulting
in a accepting of the KJV as God's Word, and not considering human copying
and translations. Knowing the different ways some words are translated
makes one suspicious about the philosophical background of the translators.
I know that I open a can of worms, but it might help understanding the
other side better. I know that everyone on this list wants to live
according to God's Word, and consequently often trying to find the
background of one's thinking and then answering accordingly is more than
just quoting bible-texts. With some people that will bring the discussion
on another level, but it requires much study. My own attitude is, that in
some cases when the study appears (in my view) to be missing, I rather not
reply, probably giving the wrong impression.
Jan
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