What is truth?

Science is about what is seen, what is observable. Faith is about that which is unseen.Science by definition has no grounds on which to attack faith. Scientists who attempt to do so are as misguided as those who use the Bible to defend God against their attacks!

So, I can happily assert that complexity doesn’t imply design, that there is a mechanism by which complexity and diversity can occur and that there is time enough for it to have happened. It doesn't threaten my faith nor does it invalidate the Bible. Evolution is a perfectly sound scientific hypothesis; it fits the abundant evidence, it consistently explains what we observe and it makes testable predictions.

"But the Bible says God created everything in 6 days, if evolution is true it took much longer which must mean the Bible is wrong and therefore everything in it is untrustworthy... Or maybe ‘day’ means geological epoch and I saw once on You Tube that someone had found Noah’s Ark and there was a programme on God TV that proved Intelligent Design, especially if you donated $100.... And anyway, science says that the second law of thermodynamics proves that evolution can’t be true...”

The sound you can hear in the background is me weeping. The concept that scientific theories constitute 'truth' did not exist when the Bible was written. To backfill it with this expectation is to needlessly bring it into a battlefield it is not designed for.

Genesis is not the religious equivalent of an IKEA leaflet  ‘Make sure you have all the parts and tools needed before attempting to build this universe’.

I profoundly believe that the Bible is true, but true on its own terms, true to its designed purpose. If we believe that it is true, why not take it at its word? It says that it is inspired by God and useful for teaching what is right, for convincing when we go wrong, for showing us how to get back on course and  for instructing us in how to make right choices. (2 Timothy 3) Guess what? When we use it for that, it does its job. (‘My word does not return void, but accomplishes that for which it was purposed’). But when we try and use it to for something else (to describe scientifically how something happened, to describe historically what happened and when) then we risk bringing it into disrepute and causing damage to our own faith and that of those for whom we have discredited it.

Of course Genesis is true. But not in the small-minded, narrow scientific arena, describing the mere mechanics of creation. No, Genesis is true in a much more profound way than that. It unveils God’s love for us, it shouts that men and women are equal, it declares the immense dignity and worth that God invests in us. It reveals the creative, triune nature of God and yet demonstrates that He nonetheless graces us with genuine choice. It speaks of the battle in which we find ourselves, warns that with freedom comes responsibility. It points to God’s broken heart and His unbreakable confidence in us. Above all it points to redemption and Jesus. Imagine a world that made choices believing that to be true.  

Science seeks to understand the universe, to comprehend it. I am fascinated by science.

Scripture seeks to reveal God in Christ and how we can have eternal, loving relationship with Him and each other. I would give my life for that.