It has become common for evolutionists to claim that science and religion are two different spheres of endeavor, which do not overlap. The oft-repeated mantra, "Evolution is science while creation is religion," has appeared in education law and teacher guidelines. But what it really means is that evolution and science are true, while creation and religion are something other than true; relegated to the realm of myth, perhaps.
I was debating the campus evolutionists at a major university several years ago when he blurted out, "If a concept is part of Christianity, if it's taught in the Bible, it doesn't belong in public education. It might even be right, but science must look for another answer"!
I'm certain the professor won't defend the implication of his statement once he reads this article, but the statement in one form or another often finds itself in school board hearings and media releases. It is time to expose its absurdity and provide a ready answer to it.
Remember that Christianity and Scripture claim to deal with truth—real objective truth. To delete all concepts mentioned in Scripture and supporting Christian doctrine from the science classroom would mean losing some key concepts, including, to list just a few:
The sun puts out heat (Psalm 19:6), teaching God's abundant provision for creation.
Gravity (Matthew 10:29), teaching God's loving concern for all His creation.
The Hydrologic Cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7), teaching God's sovereign control over nature.
The Principle of Isostasy (Isaiah 40:12) promising Earth's ultimate renewal.
A Spherical Earth (Psalm 103:12), teaching God's forgiveness of our sins.
The Size of the Universe (Isaiah 55:9), teaching God's vast superiority over man.
The Unaccountable Number of Stars (Jeremiah 33:22), teaching God's concern for the people of Israel.
Atmospheric Movement (John 3:8), illustrating the work of the Holy Spirit in a classic salvation passage (v.16).
The Importance of Blood to Life (Leviticus 17:11), in a passage dealing with atonement for sin.
Differences between Animals and Distinctness of Man (I Corinthians 15:39), explaining the nature of the resurrection.
Rotation of the Earth (Job 38:12-14), God's knowledge dwarfs man's knowledge.
This list revealing the Biblical basis for science could be extended considerably. Note that each scientific truth is coupled with an essential Christian doctrine. Should science delete these scientific concepts, just because they are part of Christianity? How absurd!
Creation is also a vital Christian doctrine, yet its claim of the separate origin of each plant and animal type as seen in Genesis 1:11-12, 20-21, and 24-25 is bolstered by biology observation, but denied by the unobserved evolutionary myth of common ancestry of all life.
Yes, creation is in Scripture, but so what? It's still true. Science teaching should be about the teaching of truth, not unobserved ideas about the past. Our classrooms would see greater benefit by deleting the nature myth of evolution, and including all scientific evidence, even if it is compatible with Scripture.
* Dr. Morris is President of the Institute for Creation Research.
Cite this article: Morris, J. 2002. If an Idea Agrees with Scripture, Does That Make it Unscientific? Acts & Facts. 31 (8).