Many believe science and faith are incompatible, but there are plenty of examples found in scripture that prove their agreement.
Dr. John Kilner is a noted bio-ethicist and author of Why the Church Needs Bioethics. He helps us wrestle with bio-ethical issues, and offers a biblical framework for the correlation between science and scripture.
Dr. Kilner found that there are misconceptions about discrepancies between science and scripture.
“Many people do see various outlooks that are affirmed in scripture. They see a conflict between that and what they’re perhaps hearing or seeing or reading with regard to what medicine, or science, or biotechnology is affirming today.”
Although these conflicts are prevalent in our culture today, science and scripture are indeed compatible on bio-ethical issues; especially regarding the significance of human life.
“There really is no conflict with regard to the significance of human life between science and scripture…both are saying that we have a human being from conception onward.”
We take a look at the term human being.
“When we produce an embryo, is that human? Well. Yes! That’s genetics. Genetics makes it very clear that we’re talking about something human, as opposed to plant, animal or anything else.”
Similarly, scripture and science both have addressed the question of, what is a being? Dr. Kilner elaborates:
“When you have an organized creature that can, given suitable environment and nurture, develop throughout its lifespan; you have a being, you have an organism. So science is saying that we have a human being from early on and scripture affirms the same sort of thing.”
The parallel can be found in the book of Genesis.
“When we look at Genesis 1 and from the very beginning, that which is human; as opposed to plant, or animal…is created in the image of God and is therefore worthy of tremendous respect.”
“Genesis 9, you don’t kill that which is human; as opposed to plant or animal in terms of human beings. Why? Because God is specially connected with human beings. When you are messing with people, you’re messing with God.”
Science and scripture both have similar views on the value of a human life.
“That’s amazing, but that’s the teaching of scripture and it mirrors the wonder of human existence that we’re learning about in science. There’s really no conflict there.”
