A Way Forward in the Science/Faith Debate
Taken together, cosmic fine tuning and evolutionary directionality bring a coherence to the history of the universe and create a grand narrative that takes us from, in the words of one pundit [John Dervin], “the big bang to the big brain”.
For religious believers the dicussion surrounding big bang cosmology and biological evolution can seem endlessly and discouragingly defensive. It sometimes seems we are constantly protecting traditional doctrines, finding plausible reinterpretations and discovering new compromises that we can make to accept what science has discovered about the world without rejecting faith.
This discouraging perspective may be an overreaction to the collapse of the more traditional views of creation. And it is only natural that we react with a certain sense of loss and search, as many are eager to do, for ways to reject the new and challenging ideas from science that threaten the traditional view.
But now that the dust has settled, so to speak, and many are no longer trying to reverse the tide of scientific progress, we are beginning to see an exciting new understanding of origins – of humans, of life, of the earth and of the entire universe – rising out of the rubble of the old misunderstanding. Because we understand science as a genuine part of God’s revelation, we are confident and encouraged by these developments.
(Karl W. Gibberson & Francis S. Collins, The Language of Science and Faith, 176-177.)
Ian Packer
on July 10th, 2011
I like this approach very much, though wary of the use of ‘revelation’, despite the frequent references to ‘general revelation’ we hear.
Aaron
on July 27th, 2011
Spread the word, spread the word. I really appreciate Collins and his approach as well as his commentary regard YEC. I think it’s time to stop trying so hard to defend God in areas where God needs no such defense.