Balancing Science and Scripture

An article by Dan Vergano of USA Today published December 17, 2009, reported that a “Super Earth,” discovered by scientists and astronomers, is the first planet in the known universe to come close to the atmosphere  and physical characteristics similar to our planet.  It is only 42 light-years away (about 247 trillion miles away from us). This discovery really excited these astronomers that life, as we know it, could be on other planets.

I have no doubt that it could, and that there are other planets to be discovered that could support life, as we know it.  I am not a scientist; however, I am a Christian who believes in the Bible.   Genesis  1:1 says ,” In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”  NKJ version.    I believe this is true, and it has taken thousands of years for man to develop the technology and financial resources to explain what has been created.

The history of collisions between scientific findings and the Church teachings have not always been so amicable. A case in point is the life of mathematician and astronomer Galileo Galilei, inventor of the telescope, and designer the first pendulum clock, among other things. In 1633, Shortly after publication of Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World - Ptolemaic and Copernican , the Inquisition of the Catholic Church banned the sale of the  book. Galileo “confessed” that he was “wrong.” He was found guilty, condemned of heresy, and was sentenced to lifelong imprisonment. However, the sentence was carried out somewhat sympathetically and it amounted to house arrest rather than a prison sentence.

Science has proved that he was correct:  the Earth does revolve around the sun. On October 31, 1992, 350 years after Galileo’s death, Pope John Paul II gave an address on behalf of the Catholic Church in which he admitted that errors had been made by the theological advisors in the case of Galileo. He declared the Galileo case closed, but he did not admit that the Church was wrong to convict Galileo on a charge of heresy because of his belief that the Earth rotates round the sun. 

This does not mean that there is a contest between science and scripture, and there should be no scorekeeper, either.  As emerging facts verify new theories, in everything from medicine to astronomy, the human view will change.  The “Super Earth” is defined by life as we know it. Reports of UFOs are documented by reputable sources and people over the years in detail, and TV programs and books offer the producers and writers the chance to explore their own explanations. Science does not have all the answers, and doesn’t have to either. The view and knowledge God has is infinite compared to the view man has, despite revolutionary advances in machines, chemistry and technology. Science and God’s word can complement each other and verify the truth. 

Peace be you with always,

Rev. Paul Abernathy 

Contact Paul Abernathy at paulabernathy@gmail.com.

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