This is
written for Christians.
I want to
encourage Christians to stop trying to find a “God of the Gaps” and just be
satisfied with a “Lord of All”.
If you are not familiar with the
term “God of the Gaps”, it is a term that refers to the idea of finding gaps in
what science can explain and using those gaps to show that we still need God to
explain the universe. The term “God of
the Gaps” is generally used in a derogatory way toward Christians who are
trying to argue that there is evidence for belief in God. An example of the “God of the Gaps” reasoning
is the origin of the universe. At the
beginning of the Big Bang scientists say that there was a small ball of stuff
that rapidly expanded to start universe.
Those arguing for belief in God will argue that someone had to make that
little ball that started everything – and that someone must be God. Science can’t explain how something comes
from nothing and so God is needed to explain the existence of the universe. The scientist will say that what the
Christian is doing is just trying to find gaps in scientific theories to find a
need for God.
This kind of thinking and reasoning
is pretty common. In fact, I used this
line of reasoning when I talked about free will <here>. I admitted then that I was straying into the
“God of the Gaps” area, and I'm probably going to have to modify that entry based
on the thoughts I’m about to express!
The scientific response to this
type of reasoning is that there may well be things we don't understand right now, but in the future we will
figure it out and therefore the “need” to use God to explain that gap will go
away. Science is constantly learning and
figuring out how things work and explaining things that previously were
mysteries. For example, in the past
people thought that the rain came by the gods or that an eclipse was a
supernatural event. Science explains how
those events happen through natural, repeatable laws. Scientists generally expect
that they will, eventually, be able to explain everything (including free
will!).
What seems to underlie this whole
line of reasoning is the sense that if
science can explain everything then God is not necessary. That
is a real trap, in my opinion.
I can see why many scientists would fall into that trap
because the scientist is coming at things from a purely naturalistic and
materialistic viewpoint and science itself, of course, relies upon explaining
events through nature. But what I don't
understand is why Christians, or any believer in God, falls into that trap. If science explains something, why does that
eliminate God from the mix?? It’s like the canvas-maker trying to find exposed
spots in a painter’s painting so that he can say “see – this is painted on my
canvas!” You don’t need an area of blank
canvas to prove there is a canvas. The
canvas underlies the whole painting, whether there are blank spots or not.
I have a saltwater aquarium in my
home – something I really enjoy. If you
have a saltwater aquarium, you know that the upkeep is critical. Water quality must be maintained and
monitored on an almost daily basis. You
really need to do water changes every week or so, and you need to monitor
levels of calcium, magnesium and so on and add those chemicals when
necessary. It takes a lot of work! And, like anyone, I’m busy. So, like most saltwater aquarium owners, I
strive as much as possible to have the maintenance happen automatically. I have a system that automatically adds water
as it evaporates. I have a system that
mixes new saltwater. Someday I hope to
add a system that tests for the various chemicals and doses the water
automatically. All of this automation doesn't
mean I didn't put the whole system together.
In fact, in my opinion, it’s even more of an amazing system when it is
working automatically and I don’t have to take care of it every day. To me, automation is a significant
improvement – it’s a better creation.
If the natural world can proceed and
function based on a variety of initially established laws and principles, that
does not make it any more or less created or uncreated. In fact, as far as I can see, it makes it more amazing. We don’t have to find unexplained gaps in the
natural world to see God’s work. It is
either all around us or it is not there at all. By this I mean that you see what you see based
on your fundamental beliefs about the universe.
If you believe there is a God, then God is in all and responsible for
all and you can appreciate His creation in everything you see. If you believe there is no God, then you will
see natural forces at work in everything whether you have the detailed
naturalistic explanation at your fingertips or not. This is true of everything, including aspects
of the natural world such as the Big Bang and evolution. If God established a natural world that
utilized evolution to advance, that does not make it any less of a creation. The existence of the natural world is a
miracle in and of itself and any details with respect to how it has progressed
or continues to progress does not make it any more or less of a miracle.
The reason I want to bring this up to
Christians is because I think this idea that there is a need to find gaps in
science prevents Christians from really appreciating God's creation to its
fullest. Rather than constantly being
able to look at creation and revel in all its wonder and glory and really
understand the depth and the details that are being uncovered by science,
Christians seem sometimes afraid of science.
At the very least they become suspicious of science (and scientists) because
they view science as constantly finding things that explain away the need for God. My point is: science can’t explain away
God. If a scientist does not believe in God, it’s
not because science forced him there – it was an a priori notion. And if the Christian sees God’s handiwork in
a sunset, it’s because of his a priori notion.
There are aspects of the physics of the big bang and aspects of the
genetics of evolution (and so on) that are just fascinating. Too many Christians are afraid to delve into
them for fear – an irrational fear in my opinion – that accepting any aspect of
those fields of science takes away from God’s work. But those fields are just as incredible and
amazing as a beautiful sunset, and if you are a Christian, you can appreciate
God’s work in every detail.
For Christians to miss out on God's
amazing creation because of their irrational fears is a sad thing. That's why I want to encourage Christians to
understand that God does not need gaps in which to live! Just appreciate that He is Lord of All.
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