Putting my cards on the table

I’ll be writing often about science and religion in this blog. If this topic interests you, read on.

I think it’s only fair that I put my cards on the table. One thing I’ve learned in ministry is that it’s almost always best to air one’s unspoken assumptions. This avoids a lot of guesswork and the misreading of intent. Knowing my assumptions will also help you decide if you want to read this blog and recommend it to others.

So here are seven assumptions that I bring to my discussions of science and religion:

1. There is a personal, creator God.

2. Jesus was the physical and spiritual incarnation of this God on earth. He really lived. He really died.

3. Jesus rose from the dead, meaning he came back to life in a transformed body, in a way that we do not.

4. The scientific method is a valid, truth finding discipline that yields reliable knowledge about the universe and everything in it.

5. Scientific knowledge is not absolute but progressive, because science is based on experimentation and theory and each are continually advancing.

6. Science and religion must work together because truth is one.

7. If there is an irreconcilable conflict between a truth of science and a truth of religion, I will side with science, with the understanding, however, that all scientific findings are provisional, even the most certain. Science is like the limit theorem, always approaching the truth but never quite reaching it. Therefore, subsequent discoveries may resolve conflicts that today appear irreconcilable.

As I’m sure is obvious, I bring some Christian non-negotiables to the table. That said, if irrefutable evidence of Jesus’ bones were discovered tomorrow, I would have to reconsider the doctrine of the Resurrection, and perhaps much else. Some religious teachings are vulnerable to disproof, and the Resurrection is one of them. I don’t always like that aspect of science, but I respect it.

Finally, I believe that truth is one, that logical contradictions call for resolution, and that peace of mind is worth some work. I value intellectual integrity a great deal, and will work hard to achieve it, even at the expense of cherished beliefs (more about that in an upcoming post). Fortunately, I have yet to surrender a core Christian belief due to a scientific finding. May that ever be. Amen.