HOME TRUTHS
by Vicky Mergard
Someone once said to me that science and religion are two completely separate things; one should not be used to support or discredit the other. I have a different view. I believe that science can be studied in an effort to understand and admire the beauty and complexity of the world around us.
It is truly amazing that an awesome and powerful God created us in His image, and then gave us the means to explore and understand – one of the mediums of this being science.
“What is man that you are mindful of him?” asks the Psalmist. God reminds us of His care and attention by saying how much more valuable we are to Him than sparrows (Matthew 10.31b). Such detail is given to the little things around us.
I am a science teacher at a high school, and am saddened at the prevalence of teaching evolutionary theory as ‘fact’ to students. It is amazing how even simple things are dominated by evolutionary theory, such as the term Protista, a kingdom classification coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1866, meaning “first of all ones” (www.biology-online.org/dictionary/ Protist).
The total value of elements and
minerals in a human is US$4.50
The Bible states that the origin of life is God, who created the heavens and the earth and all things in them within a six day period (Genesis 1). Christians believe that all Scripture is inspired by God, and that His word is true. I believe God was able to create our universe in a heartbeat, but chose instead to display His creativity, and ultimately His purpose by fashioning man like Himself.
Science to me is a verb, not a noun, as it involves a number of actions: experimenting, theorising, inferring, questioning and so on.We have amazing capacity as humans, and science is a platform for discovery. Science is an effective tool we can use to evaluate and process the wonders around us. How can fish in the depths of the ocean see in the dark?
How do we know the whereabouts and sizes of planets that are millions of light years away?
What drives us to even consider such questions, in light of our oftentimes inward view?
I see it as an inbuilt desire to know what our true relevance is, and what we mean to God.
Economists tell us that the total value of the elements and minerals in a human body is approximately US$4.50 (www.ehmac.ca/everything-elseeh/43511-bodys-worth.html), yet look at the wonders God has designed for us! He created stars for us to gaze upon, flowers to brighten our day, and coral reefs for us to snorkel on in the holidays. Such things weren’t left to chance, they were intentionally and wonderfully made – just like us.
Vicky Mergard is a science teacher at a Lutheran school near Brisbane.
