This is a widely held belief, but if it were true there wouldn’t be so many scientists who are Christians. Science and religion are not at odds. The issue is not between science and religion but between two metaphysical worldviews. View “a” is that there is no such thing as the supernatural—nothing beyond the reach of scientific investigation. View “not-a” is that there is a spiritual reality beyond or above nature. These are two irreconcilably opposite worldviews.
The falsehood comes when materialists assert that a is a statement of science. In plain fact, “a” is not a scientific statement at all but a simple assertion of faith and commitment to the materialist worldview.
One of these two positions—“a” or “not-a”—must be true and the other false. The worldview of some contemporary deconstructionists that “a” and “not-a” can both be true (or both false) is a mind-dissolving fantasy arising from the current revulsion against reason and evidence in our postmodern society. Our belief as to which is true depends on our worldview, and the best worldview is one that is most open to the evidence. What we believe does not affect exterior reality. At present, the evidence points strongly to the view that there is directionality and purpose in the universe and that they derive from outside the physical universe.
This post is an excerpt from the book Exposing Myths About Christianity by Jeffrey Burton Russell (IVP Books, 2012). It is used with permission. You can purchase this resource in its entiretyhere.
