Science and Scripture

[Tree of Life]

Many Christians think the Bible contradicts the Big Bang, and other aspects of the development of the universe. Archaeology and history may orvmay not be considered science, but current near east history doesn’t match the OT until the time of the kings, and even that is controversial.

This depends upon your exegesis, but many Christians think current understanding of sexual and gender identity contradicts Scripture.

Archaeology and history are definitely kinds of science. The gender and sexuality issue is definitely a big one. That's also a tough one though. Mainstream psychology currently embraces homosexuality and transgenderism, but how scientific is that?

 

[hedrick]

Archaeology and history are definitely kinds of science. The gender and sexuality issue is definitely a big one. That's also a tough one though. Mainstream psychology currently embraces homosexuality and transgenderism, but how scientific is that?

The scientific question isn’t whether to accept it, but various facts about it. Many Christians deny that sexual orientation exists, and believe that these are just personal,choices. That is a rejection of mainstream science. The question of actual sexual standards is a moral one, which is not dictated by science. However a large fraction of CF posting include not just that kind of moral judgement but statements that vary to one degree or another from mainstream science or medicine. It seems unlikely that the traditional sexual standards would have developed in a culture that accepts current mainstream knowledge of sex.

 

[Larniavc]

We are at the point in our apologetics course where we are examining the claim that science and Scripture are in conflict. The most famous example of this is Darwinism and evolution. Can you think of other instances wherein science and Scripture are in an apparent conflict?

The value of pi. The Bible asserts it is three.

 

[hedrick]

There is a kind of gray area here. There are things that most Christians believe that don't actually contradict science, but which almost certainly wouldn't have developed in a culture that accepted current mainstream science. Sexual standards are only one example

Another is how to handle misbehavior. Psychologists currently think there are better approaches than punishment. First, there are a few places in Scripture that traditionally have been taken to mandate punishment of children (though "rod" can certainly be read in other ways). But more seriously, penal substitution is based on the concept that misbehavior must be punished. This isn't a direct contradiction to current understandings of child discipline, but I think in practice the way we think of the atonement is highly connected to how we think of the way humans handle offenses. As we move away from violence and punishment, Christians start becoming interested in non punitive concepts of the atonement, and universalism. And they start looking at what many people thought God wanted them to do with enemies ad wrong.

 

[hedrick]

The value of pi. The Bible asserts it is three.

That one is dubious. It seems likely that the measurements used for this were given to the nearest unit.

 

[Tree of Life]

The value of pi. The Bible asserts it is three.

Haha I'm not aware of that. Where does the Bible talk about pi?

 

[Larniavc]

Mainstream psychology currently embraces homosexuality and transgenderism, but how scientific is that?

Psychology is science because it follows the scientific method. Philosophy of science and research methodology are fundamentals for an undergraduate course.

 

[Larniavc]

That one is dubious. It seems likely that the measurements used for this were given to the nearest unit.

Well yeah, but if God makes rounding errors one wonders how he made reality.

 

[Larniavc]

Haha I'm not aware of that. Where does the Bible talk about pi?

1 Kings 7:23 (KJV) And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about

 

[Tree of Life]

Psychology is science because it follows the scientific method. Philosophy of science and research methodology are fundamentals for an undergraduate course.

Psychology is science generally speaking. But lots of scientists who do science regularly go outside the bounds of science in their conclusions. Just because psychology is a legitimate science does not mean that everything a psychologist says is scientific.

 

[Tree of Life]

1 Kings 7:23 (KJV) And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other: it was round all about, and his height was five cubits: and a line of thirty cubits did compass it round about

And this is why you're an atheist?

 

[Larniavc]

Psychology is science generally speaking. But lots of scientists who do science regularly go outside the bounds of science in their conclusions. Just because psychology is a legitimate science does not mean that everything a psychologist says is scientific.

True, but that is a criticism of the person, not the discipline.

 

[Larniavc]

And this is why you're an atheist?

No.

 

[Tree of Life]

True, but that is a criticism of the person, not the discipline.

Agreed. But there can be large movements within scientific disciplines that are unscientific.

 

[Larniavc]

Agreed. But there can be large movements within scientific disciplines that are unscientific.

Well yeah, but there are also large movements within the Body of Christ that are un Christian.

 

[Tree of Life]

Well yeah, but there are also large movements within the Body of Christ that are un Christian.

I agree. I'm just saying that it makes sense to ask whether the pro-transgender movement within psychology is really scientific or not.

 

[Larniavc]

I agree. I'm just saying that it makes sense to ask whether the pro-transgender movement within psychology is really scientific or not.

A good place to start would be to examine the research. I have not done so but I guess you must have. Can you link me to the unscientific research that leads you to your conclusion?

 

[Tree of Life]

A good place to start would be to examine the research. I have not done so but I guess you must have. Can you link me to the unscientific research that leads you to your conclusion?

What is my conclusion?

 

[Larniavc]

What is my conclusion?

That it makes sense to ask if pro transgender is unscientific. What research have you read that has inclined you to ask if it is infact, unscientific?

 

[Tree of Life]

That it makes sense to ask if pro transgender is unscientific. What research have you read that has inclined you to ask if it is infact, unscientific?

It makes sense to ask whether anything is scientific or unscientific if you don't already know the answer to that question.