The Questioning Christian

“Creationism is not just bad science, it’s bad Christianity, it’s Bible worship”

Written by

D. C. Toedt III

in

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An article in today’s NY Times tells of two groups of rafters navigating the Grand Canyon.  One group consists mostly of creationists, the other of geology enthusiasts. 

"Ultimately, creationism is not just bad science to me, it’s bad Christianity, it’s Bible worship," said [Alan] Gishlick, 32, a paleontology Ph.D [who describes himself as a devout Christian]. "There’s just no reason to look at these patterns of layered sediment, or in the fossil record, or at the stars, and think that what you’re seeing isn’t what you’re seeing.  God doesn’t require you to be stupid, to deny what you see, to deny what you know."

Ms. Epperson, who sings in the choir at her Presbyterian church and brought her Bible along on the trip, said, "The more you learn about science, the more magnificent God is.

"I can look at a rainbow, and I know that white light can hit water droplets and it gets dispersed and the light spreads out and has lots of different colors," she said, "and I also say, ‘Thank you, God, for the rainbow.’ "

Jodi Wilgoren, Seeing Creation and Evolution in Grand Canyon, New York Times, Oct. 6, 2005.

Comments

6 responses to ““Creationism is not just bad science, it’s bad Christianity, it’s Bible worship””

  1. Barry Fernelius Avatar
    Barry Fernelius

    The link didn’t work correctly…

    Reply
  2. Barry Fernelius Avatar
    Barry Fernelius

    To clarify, it’s the second link that didn’t work.

    Reply
  3. D. C. Avatar
    D. C.

    Thanks – I fixed both links.

    Reply
  4. Barry Fernelius Avatar
    Barry Fernelius

    To quote from the article,
    —
    When somebody suggested that pressure over time could create plasticity in the rocks, Mr. Vail said, “That’s just a theory.”
    “It’s all theory, right?” asked Jack Aiken, 63, an Assemblies of God minister in Alaska who has a master’s degree in geology. “Except what’s in the Good Book.”
    —
    In a nutshell, that’s the idea that is at the root of a major conflict that’s going on in religion and politics right now.
    There are those who approach the Bible as the ultimate authority on EVERYTHING. For them, its authority is not limited to spiritual matters.
    The folks who hold this view believe that they are the ones who need to hold earthly power over everyone else. And they have started to succeed to an alarming degree.
    This type of behavior towards the Bible has a simple name that everyone can understand: IDOLATRY
    Don’t misunderstand me; the Bible is important. It contains information that is necessary for salvation. (It also contains a lot of other stuff as well, but that’s a topic for another time.) But the Bible is NOT God. Period.

    Reply
  5. Brian Avatar
    Brian

    Why is holding scientific theories accountable to the bible Idolatry? Read Psalm 119- the man after God’s own heart loved His Word because it was a reflection and manifestation of God’s very nature. It gives us information on reality. I have found on this site acknowledgement that scientific understanding changes and yet so many even in church today believe that science is infallible and the Bible is just archaic understanding. It’s not idolatry to believe in creationism- it’s a recognition of what is inherently authoritative. The Bible is a book that Christians believe to be inspired by God to reveal reality. Science is not infallible as we find out almost daily that scientific theories contradict each other- look at something as simple as what diet is best to lose weight. David wrote that God’s word is a light and a lamp to light our way. Barry is speaking as if it is an option for believers to use to understand life.
    I don’t quite understand what he means by “they are the ones who need to hold earthly power over everyone else.” How about viewing it that people have a passion for others to understand reality through the lens of scripture?

    Reply
  6. D. C. Avatar
    D. C.

    Thanks for posting, Brian.
    1. I know of no one who believes that science is infallible. The entire foundation of all science is the acknowledgement that all scientific knowledge is provisional. All scientific theories are subject to refinement or even refutation as additional evidence of God’s creation is revealed to us.
    2. “[H]olding scientific theories accountable to the [B]ible” does not have a very good track record in the real world.
    3. The Bible may well have been “inspired by God to reveal reality.” But as my teen-aged daughter said once, on her own initative, a thousand-page book can’t contain everything God will ever have to say to us.
    I appreciate your taking the time to leave a comment.

    Reply

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