Ironic Faith: Science

McKnight continues explaining the mindset of the emerging movement:

Third, exposure to science in public education, universities, and personal study has led emergents to disown the traditional conclusion that when science and the Bible conflict, science must move aside. Although they refuse to give the Bible the trump card in this game, they remain committed to it, but now with a different view of what the Bible actually is. The Bible, so many emergents will openly admit, employs various literary genres and shows an ancient perception of how the cosmos works. So they are both left-wing and right-wing, committed to the Bible and open to new ideas.

I wouldn’t say it quite like that, but I think I agree with what McKnight is intending. When traditional interpretation and science conflict, tradition doesn’t automatically win. After all, the Creation is itself a revelation of God. However, I insist that scripture and science never contradict, as I’ll explain. Therefore, neither trumps the other.

I’ve explained some of this in The Beginning.

Here are a couple of verses to ponder —

(Rom 1:20)  For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

(Psa 8:3-4)  When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?

God says that we can learn about him from his Creation. And I think it’s true even if we use a telescope or a chisel to take a very close look deeply into space or the rocks. Therefore, there can be no contradiction between God and science. God made science. And if they seem to us to contradict, the flaw is in our understanding.