Can a scientist be a Christian, too?

By Steve Badger

Introduction

This is a very personal essay.  In it I attempt to explain how a biochemist like me can be a conservative Christian and see the traditional, evangelical faith as rational.  It is selective, brief, and arranged in neither chronological nor priority order.

Rarely does a person embrace a position for a single reason, and my Christian faith is probably no exception.  Of necessity, this paper is not intended to be a complete or formal philosophical response to atheism.  (For example, I do not address the problem of evil and suffering here.)

Of course, I could not remove from my memory the many influences that have shaped my thinking—and many of them are forgotten or their influence was subconscious; however, the writings of philosophers J.P. Moreland, L. Russell Bush, and Dallas Roark have recently influenced me.

I do not expect that the evidence that convinces me will necessarily convince you, too.  But I hope you will consider it with an open mind.  (“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience… 1 Peter 3:15-16).[1]

Scientific Evidences

The physical universe

The most recent evidence indicates that the universe is finite in size and expanding.  Though I do not necessarily subscribe to The Big Bang Theory of the origin of the universe, the fact that it at least appears similar to the biblical account of creation cannot be ignored.  The physical universe seems to be finite in size and age. Beyond that, the universe appears to be “fine-tuned” to sustain life; that is, the fact that the universe is hospitable to life as we know it depends on the values of dozens of physical parameters being maintained within a very narrow range. This suggests Someone planned the universe and life for each other. (“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse” Romans 1:20.)

The genetic material

When we discover information, we conclude intelligence produced it.  If you saw “Mary loves Billy” inscribed in the sand at the beach, you would never conclude that waves had produced that message.  You would scoff in a friend suggested the seagulls had written it.  You would conclude that a person had written it.  Could anyone convince you that random weather patterns carved the presidential likenesses on Mt. Rushmore?  In a similar way, the enormous amount of information contained in the DNA of each species of life is overwhelming evidence for an Intelligent Designer.  (“For God is not a God of disorder…” 1 Corinthians 14:33.)

Rational Reasons

The scientific method

Most of my undergraduate and graduate education is in the natural sciences.  Most of my career has been based on using or teaching the natural sciences and its method.  But in spite of these experiences, I have come to understand that the methods of science are neither infallible nor without limits.  While the SM may be the best way to discover reality about physical phenomena, we could grant it exclusivity if and only if the physical realm is all that exists. Scientists are not the only ones who embrace the weight of the evidence.  As a Christian, I think the weight of the evidence supports the reality of the Spirit God of the Bible.  (“…Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses…” Hebrews 12:1.)

The Bible

I earned a B.S. in biology, completed the course work for an M.S. in microbiology, and earned a PhD in chemistry.  Then, 22 years after finishing a PhD, I earned my first master’s degree—in biblical studies from a seminary.  This seminary degree was completed about 23 years after I had become a Christian.  After more than two decades of living the Christian life and reading and studying the Bible—including formal graduate studies—I am convinced that the Bible, including the New Testament, is reliable history.  I find it rationally coherent.  The message of the Bible builds my faith in God.  For these reasons, I accept what it says.  (“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” John 20:31.)

Personal Experiences

The re-birth experience

Ultimately, becoming a Christian is not merely a rational decision—not that it is irrational.  But in some sense it is arational, or, better yet, supra-rational.  Though rational, it goes beyond reasoning.  Genuine New Testament faith in Jesus as Messiah and Lord is first experiential.  To that extent, it is subjective.  But this subjectivity does not reduce it to a meaningless relativism.  This experience has been the testimony of countless people through 20 centuries.  (“In reply Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again’” John 3:3.)

The Christian life

Space does not allow detailed account of God’s transformation of my life, my family, and my mind since I placed my faith in Jesus.  God’s Spirit has transformed my way of living, my way of thinking, my way of relating to others.  I’ve experienced his love, mercy, grace, and provision in countless ways.  (“…If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Contemporary Cultural Problems

I realize that many non-believers will hear my apologia and remain unconvinced.  This may be due in part to our cultural baggage, and in this we are not unique.  In New Testament times, Christianity was a scandal to the Jews because the Torah said, “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deuteronomy 21:23).  Thus, they concluded, the crucifixion of Jesus proves he could not be God’s Messiah.  To the Greeks and Romans on the other hand, Christianity was a scandal because it failed to meet their philosophical tests of wisdom—especially the claims that Jesus had been raised from the dead.  The Apostle Paul summed it up like this: “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom” (1 Corinthians 1:22). 

Much of the cultural baggage of Westerners today also marshals against faith in Christ Jesus.  Our Western culture is steeped in relativism.  We are constantly told that there are no absolute truths—all truth is relative.  Not only have many embraced relativism, but also they think it is especially true for all religious faith.  “We’re glad your Christian faith is true for you, but it is not equally true for all,” they might tell Christians.

This relativism is married to our pluralism.  To us, Christianity is a scandal because of its claims to exclusivity.  This is such an overwhelming problem to many who profess the name of Christ, that they deny this claim that Jesus is the only path to God.  I cannot agree with these Christians. C. S. Lewis (Professor of Medieval and Renaissance English Literature, Cambridge University, England) said it best in his book Mere Christianity:

“I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God” [someone may say].  That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the devil of Hell.  You must take your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God; or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God.  But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to.

The claims of the world’s competing religions cannot all be true—some are mutually exclusive.  On the authority of Scripture we must assert the claims of Jesus: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). 

Finally, we have allowed science to assume an authoritative preeminence.  The scientific method may be the best method we’ve found to answer questions about the physical universe, but it is not without limits.  And it is practiced by people who are as fallible, biased, and subjective as any other group of people.  Too many people accept this scientific imperialism and falsely conclude that science has somehow demonstrated that God does not exist. Thus, too often Christians are marginalized in our world, and people who consider themselves educated are reluctant to consider seriously the faith claims of Christianity.

Challenge

Years ago I challenged a close friend who claimed agnosticism:  “Read the New Testament with an open mind.  I believe that God desires relationship with him more than you do.  If the claims of Christianity are true, this God of the Bible is able to reveal himself to you in a way that you can accept him.  I dare you to try it.”  He accepted that challenge and came to faith within a year.  Do you dare accept that challenge?  I hope so.

February 16, 2000