The fact that God created the universe and everything that science seeks to understand makes me 
more interested in science than the average person.

My mom reaches for the computer and clicks on the video as I sit attentively in anticipation. An image flashes onto the screen; it’s a new photograph taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. I stare in wonder at the shining array of glowing dots that compose our universe. A sage-looking astronomer now occupies the screen and explains that each of the thousands of dots in the image represents individual galaxies. He expounds further that each galaxy contains hundreds of millions of stars, and each galaxy stretches across anywhere from hundreds to several hundred thousand to more than a million light-years.

This blows my mind. The astronomer begins to explain in detail how the images reveal the existence of dark energy. As I listen, he explains that the pictures reveal that dark energy makes up nearly 70 percent of the universe. Dark energy holds together the fabric of the universe while simultaneously sending billions of stars and planets careening off into the dark energy void. The astronomer then admits that no one knows what dark energy is made from, what it looks like, or how it works. Dark energy, the astronomer says, is completely invisible. Scientists have only proven its existence through convoluted mathematical calculations. The longer I watch the video, the more my curiosity builds about the science of dark energy. Why am I so curious about such a nebulous scientific topic? Because I believe in God!

After watching the video, I’m compelled to reflect on what these new scientific discoveries mean for Christians. I can’t help but see the similarities between the scientific description of dark energy and our understanding of a God who holds together the fabric of the universe and actively directs it. This is why I find things like the James Webb Space Telescope and dark energy so interesting. I view science, which is the study of the nature and behavior of the natural world around us, as something that reveals details about God, and that is so exciting!

Today, however, many have linked the idea of Christianity with a distrust of science. In fact, according to a study by psychologists Jonathan McPhetres and Miron Zuckerman, it is true that Christians have “less scientific literacy,” and “more negative attitudes towards science.” How sad! I believe this comes from the feeling among some that the ability of science to answer questions about our natural world and trust in God are mutually exclusive.

It need not be this way! It is true that some things we understand about God do not align with modern scientific propositions, but this is no reason to reject all scientific thinking and distrust science as a whole. When a contradiction between God’s Word and modern scientific concepts seemingly appears, some Christians may try to ignore the presented scientific concepts because it makes them uncomfortable. How can we defend our rightly held beliefs when they may seemingly conflict with science without understanding the opposing viewpoint? A discrepancy between our deeply held beliefs and current scientific premises should motivate us to dig more deeply into the details of the science presented to see what is really going on. Being unable to have an educated defense of our beliefs when they seemingly contradict a scientific claim is a disservice to ourselves and to our reputation as Church members.

While a slim minority of our beliefs seem to conflict with some scientific constructs, what about all our beliefs that align with modern science?  For example, Job 36:27-28 explains the process by which clouds “distill” water from vapor and drop it upon the earth in the form of rain, which aligns with the modern-day scientific understanding of precipitation. Additionally, the scientific idea of a single “Big Bang,” which may have created the universe, aligns with the description of God creating the heavens and the earth in the beginning (Genesis 1:1).

The Bible even accurately references scientific phenomena that weren’t widely understood until long after the time of writing. For example, in Leviticus 13, God gives instructions on how to deal with people with leprosy. He instructs them to be sequestered or quarantined away from the rest of the group. This reveals a scientifically accurate understanding of germ theory and the spread of infectious disease. This is so fascinating because modern science didn’t officially discover germ theory until the mid-1800s! While the Bible is not a science textbook, these clear examples of scientifically accurate understanding from the Bible should strengthen our faith in God and are a reason for Church members to seek to understand science, rather than avoiding the topic.

The fact that God created the universe and everything that science seeks to understand makes me more interested in science than the average person. As Christians, we should use our faith as an inspiration to learn about science.  It’s time that believing in God and being Christian are no longer synonymous with disliking science or denying it outright. Our faith in God should be strengthened when our beliefs align with science. When they don’t, we should keep our beliefs but be motivated to dig into the scientific theories to better be able to defend our beliefs in light of current scientific perspectives.

CC by Bill Bradford