To what degree are Christians prone to falsely worship "earthly science?"

[Robert_Sock]

QUESTION: What does “earthly science,” money, and sex have in common?

ANSWER: They can all easily become objects of false worship. Christians are usually easy to see where sex and money can become objects of false worship, but where Christians often fall is their inability to see that they often falsely worshipping “earthly science.” Even if we were naïve enough to think that with a little education we common earthly humans were able to produce the technology to build things like jet aircraft, computers, and cell phones, God is far beyond all materialism, and He alone is to be praised and worshiped and given credit for all we have while living this life in exile!

The Forty-Eighth Chapter – The Imitation of Christ
THE DAY OF ETERNITY AND THE DISTRESSES OF THIS LIFE
THE DISCIPLE
O MOST happy mansion of the city above! O most bright day of eternity, which night does not darken, but which the highest truth ever enlightens! O day, ever joyful and ever secure, which never changes its state to the opposite! Oh, that this day shine forth, that all these temporal things come to an end! It envelops the saints all resplendent with heavenly brightness, but it appears far off as through a glass to us wanderers on the earth. The citizens of heaven know how joyful that day is, but the exiled sons of Eve mourn that this one is bitter and tedious.

The days of this life are short and evil, full of grief and distress. Here man is defiled by many sins, ensnared in many passions, enslaved by many fears, and burdened with many cares. He is distracted by many curiosities and entangled in many vanities, surrounded by many errors and worn by many labors, oppressed by temptations, weakened by pleasures, and tortured by want.

Oh, when will these evils end? When shall I be freed from the miserable slavery of vice? When, Lord, shall I think of You alone? When shall I fully rejoice in You? When shall I be without hindrance, in true liberty, free from every grievance of mind and body? When will there be solid peace, undisturbed and secure, inward peace and outward peace, peace secured on every side? O good Jesus, when shall I stand to gaze upon You? When shall I contemplate the glory of Your kingdom? When will You be all in all to me? Oh, when shall I be with You in that kingdom of Yours, which You have prepared for Your beloved from all eternity?

I am left poor and exiled in a hostile land, where every day sees wars and very great misfortunes. Console my banishment, assuage my sorrow. My whole desire is for You. Whatever solace this world offers is a burden to me. I desire to enjoy You intimately, but I cannot attain to it. I wish to cling fast to heavenly things, but temporal affairs and unmortified passions bear me down. I wish in mind to be above all things, but I am forced by the flesh to be unwillingly subject to them. Thus, I fight with myself, unhappy that I am, and am become a burden to myself, while my spirit seeks to rise upward and my flesh to sink downward. Oh, what inward suffering I undergo when I consider heavenly things; when I pray, a multitude of carnal thoughts rush upon me!

O my God, do not remove Yourself far from me, and depart not in anger from Your servant. Dart forth Your lightning and disperse them; send forth Your arrows and let the phantoms of the enemy be put to flight. Draw my senses toward You and make me forget all worldly things. Grant me the grace to cast away quickly all vicious imaginings and to scorn them. Aid me, O heavenly Truth, that no vanity may move me. Come, heavenly Sweetness, and let all impurity fly from before Your face.

Pardon me also, and deal mercifully with me, as often as I think of anything besides You in prayer. For I confess truly that I am accustomed to be very much distracted. Very often I am not where bodily I stand or sit; rather, I am where my thoughts carry me. Where my thoughts are, there am I; and frequently my thoughts are where my love is. That which naturally delights, or is by habit pleasing, comes to me quickly. Hence You Who are Truth itself, have plainly said: “For where your treasure is, there is your heart also.” If I love heaven, I think willingly of heavenly things. If I love the world, I rejoice at the happiness of the world and grieve at its troubles. If I love the flesh, I often imagine things that are carnal. If I love the spirit, I delight in thinking of spiritual matters. For whatever I love, I am willing to speak and hear about.

Blessed is the man who for Your sake, O Lord, dismisses all creatures, does violence to nature, crucifies the desires of the flesh in fervor of spirit, so that with serene conscience he can offer You a pure prayer and, having excluded all earthly things inwardly and outwardly, becomes worthy to enter into the heavenly choirs.

 

[Vico]

Exactly as Jesus told Pilate:

John 18

1. Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would certainly strive that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now my kingdom is not from hence.
2. Pilate therefore said to him: Art thou a king then? Jesus answered: Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world; that I should give testimony to the truth. Every one that is of the truth, heareth my voice.

And in Matthew 16

1. Then Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
2. For he that will save his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for my sake, shall find it.
3. For what doth it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what exchange shall a man give for his soul?
4. For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then will he render to every man according to his works.

 

[RandomAlias]

QUESTION: What does “earthly science,” money, and sex have in common?

ANSWER: They can all easily become objects of false worship.

I don’t know about that. Why single out earthly science? One could worship (or make a false god of) playing computer games, operating a family business, creating works of art, curating one’s social media, or a zillion other things.

I would argue that in science, at least, one is examining and appreciating the truth and beauty of God’s creation, and it is one of many ways that we may begin to see the greatness of God.

 

[Robert_Sock]

I don’t know about that. Why single out earthly science?

I think I can see where earthly science puffs up people’s pride more than other objects of false worship and that people falsely accredits technological advancement to human creativity than to God’s gifts to our culture.

 

[po18guy]

I think your thread generator algorithm has a glitch. Title does not agree with the question posed.