Christian Science Properly Called

 God in the Lab

Scientism is the philosophical belief that  matter is the only thing that exists.  If it's not made up of atoms--if it cannot be reduced to, and explained by, the interaction of atomic nuclei and electrons--it does not exist. 

Most hard core evolutionists are believers in scientism.  Most scientists are believers in scientism to some extent.  They believe that religion and science are oil and water and can never mix.  So, when they enter their labs or conduct their research they lock the door and exclude all religious considerations.  Outside the lab they may be church goers, or Hindu's or deeply religious in some way or other.  This is a stupid idea.

Every religion, including scientism has a view about the origins of being.  To suspend that when one goes into the lab to conduct scientific research is to deny one's faith.

Christian scientists often get caught up in this.
  They think that because science deals with the natural, as long as they look for natural causes for all phenomena they can be truly professional and consistent scientists.  It is only when they have to resort to explanations that invoke God that they are betraying the scientific disciplines.  So, materialists in the lab; Christian believers on Sunday. 

This view reflects a poor understanding of the Scriptures, and of science for that matter.  The Scriptures declare God to be Almighty, the Maker of all things.  God made matter--but more, He created, established, and maintains the natural causes and effects of the material order.  The very regularity of matter, by which it can be studied and meaningfully experimented upon is due to God's constant, unceasing commands issued over the universe--without end.  Therefore, when a Christian scientist enters the lab he is studying the causes and effects and phenomena of the natural order, the material world, but he is also studying the handiwork and the commands of God at the same time. 

If the Christian scientist turns to his Unbelieving colleague and asks, Why do you think the universe is  mathematically ordered, his colleague will probably shake his head.  He does not know. It's beyond the competence of science.  But why?  His whole career is dependant upon the regularity of natural causes, of the repeatability of experiments, of the mathematical order of the material world.  Why not face up to and ask and seek to answer that elephantine question? 

The regularity of the material order does not traduce the Christian faith; it loudly testifies to it.  Natural cause explanations and discovery do not "shrink" God, they make Him more and more glorious to the Believer's mind.  It takes a fool to deny pertinent evidence staring him in the face. 

The more complex we discover the created order to be, the more glorious and great God becomes to our eyes. 

In a word, Christian scientists need to give a religious explanation for everything. Rather than shutting out their faith when they enter the lab, they must tell the truth.  The lab and its work is only meaningful because the natural material world is ordered and regular, which in turn is so because of the unceasing work of the Almighty, supernatural Creator God. 

The tragedy of Unbelieving science is that it celebrates the regularity and order of the material world, and posits that such things are because of chance.  Go figure.