I have often said, and will continue to do so, that scientific proof is the antithesis of faith.
And that’s because it is, but that doesn’t mean science and religion do not have one very important thing in common.
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Let’s kick this off with what a scientific proof is all about. You start with an hypothesis, which is a fancy word for guess, questioning why something in nature occurs. You then test that hypothesis with experimentation, using both a control and a variable group. If your hypothesis is correct, the scientific proof is that you are able to recreate- at will- that event which you first asked, “How does this happen?”
Religion is quite different. Religion requires faith, which we are told is believing in things not proven or seen (Hebrews 11:1). In fact, Yeshua himself identified the importance of faith over proof when he told Thomas (John 20:29) that he believes because he has seen, but blessed are those who believe without seeing.
So, nu? If science and religion are so very different at their very basic level, what can they possibly have in common?
The answer, as I see it, is that they both are based on asking a question.
Science questions what it sees in order to understand what makes something in nature “tick”, and religion questions who is saved, is Yeshua God, is there a hell, which calendar is correct, should we eat this or not, do we follow Torah or not, etc. etc. ad nauseum.
And what is important to remember is that truth- whether about nature or God- is strong enough to stand up to being questioned.
When I am having a discussion with someone about God or Yeshua or the meaning of something in the Bible, if we disagree the first thing I will do is ask, “Why do you believe that?”
Now I know I have stated that faith is believing in what can’t be proven, but generally speaking everyone does have some reason for believing what they do. In my experience, it is rare when someone can use biblical knowledge or life experience to prove that what they accept on faith is actually based on a reasonable explanation for that belief.
I chose, long ago, to believe Yeshua is the Messiah, but I can also back that up, to a degree, with biblical verification and even non-religious verification (the writings of Josephus, for example). I do not need proof, and if questioned I can stand up to the “doubting Thomas’s” simply by providing enough documentation to show there is some justification for my belief.
Science is based on asking questions, and religion is based on faith, but both are correct when asking questions in order to dig down deep enough to come to the truth.
Science does that through experimentation, and religion does it through study of the Bible, study of extra-biblical documentation, and (believe it or not)…logical thinking.
Many scientists over the years, after becoming more familiar and learned about the world, have come to the “scientific” conclusion that there is some higher intelligence that has formed the universe, and that conclusion is based on observation and knowledge of how the world and nature works.
They have actually proven, scientifically, that order does not come out of chaos, but quite the opposite- order eventually devolves into chaos. So, knowing (again, scientifically proven) that there was a Big Bang billions of years ago, that was certainly chaos, but it has evolved (for lack of a better word) into order. And not just order, but a perfectly designed order of life.
That doesn’t just happen.
So, if anyone questions your faith, be prepared to justify it with more than just “Because”, because because ain’t good enough for those who need to question.
And understand this… people question in order to seek an answer, and by accepting their questions with calm, confident answers, you have an opportunity save someone’s soul.
Thank you for being here, and please remember to share these messages with everyone you know, even non-believers. Hey, after all, you never know how fertile the soil is until you plant a seed in it.
That’s it for this week, so l’hitraot and (an early) Shabbat Shalom!