What is Faith?
Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith is believing in something you cannot see, cannot hear, cannot smell, cannot taste and cannot touch.
Faith is believing in something that cannot be scientifically proven.
The uncertainty of Science
I’m a scientist. I’m a good scientist. I hold a honors degree in Computer Science, and I graduated in the top 10 of my class.
Excuse me if it sounds like I’m trying to blow my own whistle and allow me to do the exact opposite.
The most important thing all my scientific experiments and studies taught me is that, all too often, scientific proof is about as solid as a slab of good Swiss cheese. It smells interesting and it’s full of holes.
Here’s the thing about scientific proof.
I’ve managed to scientifically prove impossible things. Meticulously. Accurately. Watching every step. And what do you know – impossible results.
The problem?
I am human. I make mistakes. Despite my best efforts to remain completely objective and eliminate any chance of errors slipping in, they did.
Scientific proof is fallible, because the humans that come up with those proofs are fallible. The machines they used to prove it were also created by humans and are thus, also fallible.
If someone tells you they’ve managed to “scientifically prove” some great new thing or solve some great mystery, my advice is to take it with a touch of salt.
The wise man’s words are like goads that spur to action. They nail down important truths. Students are wise who master what their teachers tell them. But, my son, be warned: there is no end of opinions ready to be expressed. Studying them can go on forever, and become very exhausting!
Believing in God
If your belief (or disbelief) in God is based on some scientific proof, your belief is only as solid as your scientific proof. How solid is your proof?
In my opinion, scientific proof of God’s existence (or non-existence) is a futile attempt by man to retain a sense of control and understanding that is beyond his reach.
God cannot be scientifically proven.
To try and understand God is like trying to understand infinity. It is too much for the human brain to comprehend.
Faith is believing in things that are beyond the human limits of control or understanding.
The only way to believe in God, is to believe by faith.
What do you think?
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.
October 10th, 2008 at 02:50 pm
That is so true Francois. Al lot of people blindly believe in so called “Science” without the slightest questioning. Knowing who sponsors the “science” can already be an indication of where the result of the “scientific study” will end up. E.g. if Nokia would employ scientists to study the effect of cell phones on children, I think it is reasonable to expect some censorship on the results, even if not officially imposed by the sponsor.
As far as science related to history (Historic Science) goes, I have seen the most amazing claims been made as if it is unquestionable truth. Science is supposed to be questioned all the time and adjusted if needed. This may apply to many fields of study, but not where the age of the earth / universe comes in or where molecules-to-man evolution is studied.
I read (in various books and articles) the following scientific evidence. A rock was found in Antarctica with Fossils of Bacteria on it. This rock originated a few kilometers below the surface of Mars. It left Mars about 50000 years ago and entered Earth’s atmosphere about 15000 – 20000 years ago.
If the above was published in National Geographic, Science or Nature, would ANYBODY question it? Think about it for a while. If you saw something about this on 50/50, Discovery Channel or National Geographic Channel, how inclined will you be to question its validity. Lets assume some so called scientist is questioned and he gives some fancy scientific explanation that you don’t understand, he also draws some very nice looking pictures. Are you going to question it? Think about it for a while before you continue to read.
To be truthful, a few years back, I would not have questioned it at all. I probably still accept some articles or programs like these as the truth, without thinking twice.
Now lets try to think logically about this. How does a fossil of bacteria look like? How does these fossils survive entering the Earth’s atmosphere? Which dating methods did they use to determine all these dates? How accurate are these dating methods?
Did they connect their laptop to the USB port on the rock and download all this information? How do cause a rock to leave Mars without leaving a serious dent on the other side? (Or was it some Martian that moved it?).
The above may be an extreme example, but I have seen just how gullible people are when reading magazines, news papers or books, not even to mention Television. Especially if the words Science, Scientific Evidence or Scientist is used.
October 10th, 2008 at 04:37 pm
@Danie
Excellent points Danie!
Makes me think of Wisdom Strawberry #4: Common sense says the Earth is flat (and it also says we should be watching out for those Martians moving rocks around on Earth).