Balancing one's faith in relation to science

[spunjalebi]

Oh…I get it now And I thought you were trying to stump me.

 

[buffalo]

Oh…I get it now And I thought you were trying to stump me.

Listen to Fr Barron -
Father Barron Against The YouTube Heresies

 

[donsnow]

I’ve been a Christian for a while, and even before I was Catholic I have had an interest in science. As funny as this sounds, while I strongly rely on evidence and facts, I also believe in having faith and believing in what you cannot always see.

However, there are times where I struggle with balancing scientific thinking with faith philosophy, basically Catholicism. On one hand, I wonder if evolution (macroevolution specifically) has any true merits, and if it’s “just a theory”, or if I would be an idiot to ignore the facts. Flip that over, and I wonder how I take that in stride with my faith as a Catholic Christian, and how this relates to understanding what the Bible says about creation. After all-- did God really create everything in what we know to be as 7 days-- 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes per hour? There are plenty of non-Catholic faiths out there that believe so. And is the earth really that old, or am I just being dismissive with the Bible’s timeline?

Is it truly possible to accept and understand science, scientific thinking, and empirical evidence while being a Christian? Or is it just contradictory?

For instance, can I truly say that I believe in Creation and God’s intervention in the universe and still believe that there are natural processes which drive nature? Is it feasible to state that I am a Catholic, believe in God, and also believe that dinosaurs existed??

Hi, again,

I’ve read all the posts to here.

One of the senior posters pointed out, that science and religion are not a balancing act.

Another pointed out, about the idolatry of worshiping knowledge, which is mistaken for science, nowadays.

Those two observations have a distinct bearing on answering your questions.

This idolatry of knowledge goes back to my previous post, “…when science contradicts religion, I look to see if it’s really science…” or words to that effect. In my opinion, the heart of modern science is the “scientific method” and self restriction to only empirical evidence. Good science does not make any comment about God nor Creation.

So, little lady, as you discovered in archaeology, there is some discernment about whether or not some claims are really science. Yes?

And, “Yes” is the answer to each of your ending questions.

Sometimes, apparent contradictions are really paradoxes.

I hope I have been a help.
(In my opinion, there are different kinds of evidence, from which we are not restricted. For example, in addition to empirical evidence for materialists, there’s anecdotal evidence which is acceptable to most of us and legal evidence which is what a judge allows to enter in testimony. I think there’s yet more different types of evidence, which I can’t think of, at the moment.
Personally, I do not allow materialists to restrict me to only empirical evidence: that’s for materialists, one of which I’m not. I want to peruse all the different types of evidence about any one topic, before I make up my mind.)

 

[lemondiesel]

God is outside of time and created it. SO he views it from outside the frame. We are living in the timeline, in the frame. Does that help?

So do you consider God to be a being viewing the universe, from outside the universe?

 

[buffalo]

So do you consider God to be a being viewing the universe, from outside the universe?

God exists outside of space and time.

The living God
205 God calls Moses from the midst of a bush that burns without being consumed: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."9 God is the God of the fathers, the One who had called and guided the patriarchs in their wanderings. He is the faithful and compassionate God who remembers them and his promises; he comes to free their descendants from slavery. He is the God who, from beyond space and time, can do this and wills to do it, the God who will put his almighty power to work for this plan.

 

[lemondiesel]

God exists outside of space and time.

As I am discussing in another thread, he is just as much bound to space and time as well. He exists outside of space because the “soul” of God is separate, just as ours is separate from our physical bodies. He is bound to time as well, but since He is everywhere at anytime, time is irrelevant.

 

[buffalo]

As I am discussing in another thread, he is just as much bound to space and time as well. He exists outside of space because the “soul” of God is separate, just as ours is separate from our physical bodies. He is bound to time as well, but since He is everywhere at anytime, time is irrelevant.

But still He created time.

His Son entered into time.

 

[lemondiesel]

But still He created time.

His Son entered into time.

He didn’t created, God is time.

And His Sons, as in all of us, experience Time…they experience Existence (the past, present, future), which is God.

Miracles aside, the only difference between Jesus and any one of us, is that he dedicated his life to equality. He was willing to accept suffering, as long as it meant that everyone loved each other.

A bit off track, my apologies. :doh2:

 

[JHow]

He didn’t created, God is time.
…

Augustine posits time as being created (Confessions, Book 11):

Chapter 13. Before the Times Created by God, Times Were Not.
15. But if the roving thought of any one should wander through the images of bygone time, and wonder that You, the God Almighty, and All-creating, and All-sustaining, the Architect of heaven and earth, for innumerable ages refrained from so great a work before You would make it, let him awake and consider that he wonders at false things. For whence could innumerable ages pass by which You did not make, since You are the Author and Creator of all ages? Or what times should those be which were not made by You? Or how should they pass by if they had not been? Since, therefore, You are the Creator of all times, if any time was before You made heaven and earth, why is it said that You refrained from working? For that very time You made, nor could times pass by before You made times. But if before heaven and earth there was no time, why is it asked, What were You doing then? For there was no then when time was not.

1. Nor dost Thou by time precede time; else would not Thou precede all times. But in the excellency of an ever-present eternity, Thou precedest all times past, and survivest all future times, because they are future, and when they have come they will be past; but You are the same, and Your years shall have no end. Your years neither go nor come; but ours both go and come, that all may come. All Your years stand at once since they do stand; nor were they when departing excluded by coming years, because they pass not away; but all these of ours shall be when all shall cease to be. Your years are one day, and Your day is not daily, but today; because Your today yields not with tomorrow, for neither does it follow yesterday. Your today is eternity; therefore You begot the Co-eternal, to whom You said, This day have I begotten You. You have made all time; and before all times You are, nor in any time was there not time.

 

[donsnow]

As I am discussing in another thread, he is just as much bound to space and time as well. He exists outside of space because the “soul” of God is separate, just as ours is separate from our physical bodies. He is bound to time as well, but since He is everywhere at anytime, time is irrelevant.

Well, lemondiesel,

I would gently and respectfully disagree.

Even in the flesh of His Son come in the flesh, God remains outside of space and time, with the Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ. That is, Jesus Christ has returned to Heaven and is at the right hand of His Heavenly Father, both of them now and still outside of time and space.

God loves you,
Don