News Flash: Atheism Is Not A Science!

Psalm 8:1-9(MSG) - God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name. Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble. I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings. Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way? Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light. You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deeps. God, brilliant Lord, your name echoes around the world. (emphasis mine)

Why does God even bother with us? Especially those of us who shake our fists in the air at Him in opposition. Do we really believe we can match His power? Thankfully, God is merciful and because of His love He winks at our ignorance. He loves human beings and values our lives. He loves Christians. He loves Muslims. He loves Hindus. He loves agnostics. He loves atheists. It's because of His love that He continues to reach out to us but even God's unlimited love does not override rebellious hearts.

Last Saturday, this was quite evident during what turned out to be an intense debate on "Science vs Religion" with an atheist on Chris Cross Radio out of NJ. After I was introduced by the host at approximately 99 minutes into the 120 minute program I was asked to explain the premise of my book, Faith Science. So I gave a little teaser connecting Genesis 1:1 and The Big Bang Theory. 

This triggered an immediate response from one of the atheists on the panel. He claimed to have once been a Christian who read The Bible three times. He tried to portray himself as being someone of superior intelligence and for almost 99 minutes he was successfully dominating the discussion before I entered. Then I called his bluff. Not only was he unable to question the science behind my statements he also exposed his limited understanding of the scriptures. Instead of giving you the "play by play" you can listen to it for yourself from approximately the 99th minute of the recorded broadcast here. 

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines an atheist as "one who believes that there is no deity." Simply put, atheism is a belief system that is based on the principle that God doesn't exist. That is what atheism is. Here is what it is not. Atheism is not the highest level of human intelligence. It also is not built on scientific research or intellectual accomplishment. It is not a direct result of mental ascent. It is a belief system and therefore a choice. Atheists choose to believe that there is no God and whatever reasons they provide for that choice is up to them. Atheism is not the final conclusion of The Scientific Method. Atheism is not a science!

Psalm 14:1(KJV) - The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

Here's an excerpt from Faith Science which questions the assertion that atheism is built on science and that atheists are somehow intellectually superior to anyone who believes in God.

From Faith Science;

Five Prominent Christian Scientists in History

1. Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1627): Pioneer of the Scientific Method

The Scripture saith, The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God; it is not said, The fool hath thought in his heart; so as he rather saith it, by rote to himself, as that he would have, than that he can thoroughly believe it, or be persuaded of it. For none deny, there is a God, but those, for whom it maketh that there were no God. It appeareth in nothing more, that atheism is rather in the lip, than in the heart of man, than by this; that atheists will ever be talking of that their opinion, as if they fainted in it, within themselves, and would be glad to be strengthened, by the consent of others.

—Francis Bacon, Of Atheism (Essays of Francis Bacon)

The scientific method defines science as we know it. So I can’t think of anyone who qualifies more to accept the title of an accomplished scientist than the man who proposed its definition in the first place. Bacon clearly despised atheism and did not hold anything back in his essay Of Atheism. I specifically chose this quote because he demonstrated his use of the Bible in approaching the concept of atheism.

He quoted from Psalm 14:1 and expounded on the scripture just like a preacher. In essence, he said that atheists can’t really believe what they say about God. People who claim there is no God know the truth in their hearts. They have no excuse, like Paul said in Romans 1:18–23. They just talk off their heads and feel better about their position if they could get some support from others.

2. Johannes Kepler (1571–1630): Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion

I wanted to become a theologian; for a long time I was restless. Now, however, behold how through my effort God is being celebrated in astronomy. 

—Johannes Kepler, 1595 Letter to Michael Maestlin, mathematics professor and Kepler’s mentor

HyperPhysics hosted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Georgia State University simply defines Kepler’s Laws as:

• The Law of Orbits: All planets move in elliptical orbits, with the sun at one focus.

• The Law of Areas: A line that connects a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

• The Law of Periods: The square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis of its orbit.

Note: Kepler’s laws were derived for orbits around the sun, but they apply to satellite orbits as well.

While the general consensus was that orbits were circular, Kepler proposed that they were elliptical. His laws approximated the motion of planets around the sun and became building blocks of modern astronomy. Even as a respected astronomer, he was quoted as saying, “Nothing in the world was created by God without a plan.” Kepler’s testimony in his letter to Maestlin is similar to mine. I also wanted to become a theologian but pursued physics and structural engineering. Now, God is being celebrated through my life.

3. Robert Boyle (1627–1691): Boyle’s Law

When with bold telescopes I survey the old and newly discovered stars and planets that adorn the upper region of the world; and when with excellent microscopes I discern in otherwise invisible objects … nature’s curious workmanship; and when, in a word … I study the book of nature … I find myself oftentimes reduced to exclaim with the Psalmist, How manifold are thy Works O Lord? In Wisdom hast thou made them all! And when I have been losing myself in admiration of what I understand not, but enough to admire, and not to comprehend; I am often obliged to interrupt or break off my enquiries, by applying to the works of God’s creation the expression … O the depth of the Riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his way untraceable. 

—Robert Boyle, Seraphick Love: Some Motives and Incentives to the Love of God

Frank Wattenberg from the Department of Mathematics at Montana State University said the following of Boyle’s Law:

Boyle’s Law involves a relationship between three properties of a gas in a container: the volume of the container (denoted V), the pressure of the gas (denoted P), the temperature of the gas (denoted T).

Boyle’s Law states: PV = kT where k is a constant, or Pressure * Volume = Constant * Temperature

The value of the constant k depends on the units used for the other quantities, but once the units are fixed, k is also fixed. When any one of the quantities V, P, or T is changed, one or two of the others must change so that the equation above still holds.

Robert Boyle developed his scientific and religious philosophies simultaneously. He is described as one of the founders of modern chemistry. In college, I learned Boyle’s law as the inversely proportional relationship between absolute pressure and the volume of gas. It’s used to understand the behavior of gases in balloons, syringes, and even human lungs. It’s so commonly used that we hardly acknowledge it. With his extensive understanding of science came a great respect for God.

4. Michael Faraday (1791–1867): Faraday’s Law, Electromagnetic Fields

The Christian who is taught of God … finds his guide in the Word of God … and looks for no assurance beyond what the Word can give him. The Christian religion is a revelation, and that revelation is the Word of God. No revival and no temporal teaching comes between it and him. He who is taught of the Holy Spirit needs no crowd and no revival to teach him; if he stands alone he is fully taught. 

—Selected Exhortations Delivered to Various Churches of Christ by the Late Michael Faraday, Wm. Buchanan, John M. Baxter, and Alex Moir, James Rorie, editor, (Dundee: John Leng and Co., Ltc., 1910)

HyperPhysics hosted by the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Georgia State University simply defines Faraday’s Law as: Any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage (emf ) to be “induced” in the coil. No matter how the change is produced, the voltage will be generated. The change could be produced by changing the magnetic field strength, moving a magnet toward or away from the coil, moving the coil into or out of the magnetic field, rotating the coil relative to the magnet, etc.

Faraday’s law is a fundamental relationship which comes from Maxwell’s equations. It serves as a succinct summary of the ways a voltage (or emf ) may be generated by a changing magnetic environment. The induced emf in a coil is equal to the negative of the rate of change of magnetic flux times the number of turns in the coil. It involves the interaction of charge with magnetic field.

Michael Faraday turned the scientific world upside down. His development of electromagnetic rotary devices made electricity usable in technology. He’s been called the best experimentalist in the history of science, and it’s said that on Albert Einstein’s study wall was his photo. The farad used to measure capacitance and the Faraday constant used to measure charge were named after him. He’s even credited for developing the Bunsen burner. How did a man with such an amazing scientific track record embrace Christian beliefs? The same way any other person can. When properly understood in context, they do not have to contradict each other.

5. Lord Kelvin (1824–1907): absolute zero, First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics

Science positively affirms Creative Power. It is not in dead matter that we live and move and have our being, but in the creating and directing power which science compels us to accept as an article of belief. We cannot escape from that conclusion, when we study the physics and dynamics of living and dead matter all around. Modern biologists are coming, I believe, once more to a firm acceptance of something beyond mere gravitational, chemical, and physical forces; and that unknown thing is a vital principle. We have an unknown object put before us in science. In thinking of that object we are all agnostics. We only know God in His works, but we are absolutely forced by science to believe with perfect confidence in a Directive Power—in an influence other than physical, or dynamical, or electrical forces.

—Lord Kelvin (William Thomson); Vote of thanks from Lord Kelvin following a course of lectures on “Christian Apologetics” given at University College, London in May, 1903 by Rev. Professor Henslow.

The next time you consider units of temperature, remember that Celsius and Fahrenheit are just two of them. Named after Lord Kelvin, absolute zero or 0 Kelvin is defined as -273.15°C and -459.67°F. Close to that temperature, quantum effects like superconductivity and super fluidity are exhibited by matter. This is basically what is known as the absolute minimum temperature. Lord Kelvin, the same elite scientist who proposed this measure, was a staunch defender of the Christian faith.

These five scientists—Bacon, Kepler, Boyle, Faraday, and Kelvin— are just a small representation of the vast number of Christians in science throughout history. It’s undeniable that the practice of science cannot negate the practice of Christian faith and vice versa.