I just want to begin with a simple example. When we are
asked the question of antiquity of this universe, I can hardly imagine any
Christians answering beyond the range of thousand years in context of Nepal.
However, when it comes to science, most of them spill out random values as
mockery against scientific analysis such as some random values in millions and
billions! We are so habituated and addicted to answer precisely what the
scripture has to say but we tend to mock and protest when it comes to the field
of science! What’s really going on?
The readers are requested not to expect that I’m going to
discuss the vital issue on creation controversy. That was only an example! What
I mean to say is, we are so addicted to give our high respect for the scripture
(which is inevitable!) but we are so hostile to other fields! Why? Today, there
are fewer popular terms: Amen, Heretic, Pagan, Cult, and so on. When a
Christian tend to uphold any position which straightforward contradicts the
traditional teaching of the church, they are labelled with harsh words! On the
other side, ‘Amen!’ is obviously the remark! Just because the scripture is true
doesn’t mean we are ought to hate other fields and label everything as heretic!
In our modern era, there are so much ongoing theological
investigation which isn’t identical or equivalent to ‘adding to God’s word’!
They are merely the exploration of theologians, philosophers, and enthusiastic
minds who tend to explore depth of the scripture! They aren’t adding to God’s
word at all. They are rather helping the world to make the scripture clearer
and more conceivable! Meanwhile, we are always taught to protest, mock and
insult their analysis. Even if we evaluate the history of the developing
Christianity, there are lots of doctrines, views and positions that has been
progressively erupting throughout different ages. Even today, those disputes
are alive and scholars are working on them.
With our unusual addiction with sufficiency, necessity,
clarity and authority of the scripture, we have begun to demean other areas of
our life. For example, science is one of them! When it comes to scientific
premise, most of the theologians or Bible teacher tend to use god of the gaps
argument or attach to Biblicism. They misrepresent other views in order to
prove the supremacy of our faith as well. Why cannot we respect field of
science in some areas where it seems scripture and science contradict? However,
the teaching strategy theologians and Bible teacher adopt is traditional and
they aren’t aware how much development there has been in theological field!
It is disgrace to underestimate science and if we don’t know
something about its branches, we better remain silent and try to study
furthermore. It is obvious that we want our scripture to be true in all fields.
However, it is not a good ethics to protest or mock something by
misrepresenting it and showing the supremacy of the scripture! Some
evangelicals I have found, they try to convince non-believers that science has
proven even the Bible. But how? The questions then asked by the critic are so
dazzling that no single Christians can provide satisfactory answer on it! Are
they insulting themselves?
Some use science to show Bible is true while some mocks
science and misrepresents its various streams to show the scripture is true.
These trending are today even in Bible colleges, apologetics sessions and
evangelical trainings. What I’m simply trying to say is, why we are so narrowed
down and in name of respecting the scripture, we are insulting and
misrepresenting other fields like science? I already gave you one fascinating
example at the very beginning!
Even if other fields contradict the scripture, let the
learners get an opportunity to know at least what they really teach! Most
often, opposing fields are misrepresented to uplift the scripture! Just a
simple example is misrepresenting Evolution! Although, I am not even a theistic
evolutionist and I strongly oppose this view, but I always want to learn what
it actually teaches than being hurried to debunk it. It isn’t necessary for me
to mock it. Many evangelical Christians are deprived of basic knowledge of
evolution! How do we feel when our course books misrepresent our faith? E.g.
the Paradise Lost, The Purgatory, Jesus in India, The Yoga of Jesus, etc.
There is need of respect and it seems there is need of
Christian theologians, apologists, Bible teachers and philosophers who have
expertise in non-theological fields like science. Just laying one’s foundation
on few videos, seminars, sessions and books on Systematic theology or other
authors do not make them an expert in non-theological fields. Their comments on
science is entirely fragile! No mere theological books will ever teach science
and Bible conflicts, history and Bible conflicts, etc. and they aren’t even
designed to teach us science, history or anything else.
As the theology is progressing, we are in need of
appropriate ethics on teaching methodology and presenting opposing or
alternative views in a healthy manner. Christians in Nepal from various fields
(specially science and similarly other fields like history, archaeology,
paleontology, etc.) must speak out whenever the field has been misrepresented
just in name of respecting the Bible and proving it to be trustworthy. This is
not an act of defending those fields which go against the scripture but an
honesty towards what they really has to teach!
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