BioLogos is an organization that exists to try to convince Christians to add evolution and millions of years into the Bible. Recently, they published “An Open Letter to People of Faith About Science,” in which they announced their new “Science is Good” initiative. Now, I agree—science is good. Scientific discovery is a gift from our Creator. But when I say “science is good,” I don’t mean the same thing as BioLogos!
BioLogos begins their open letter by lamenting the growing distrust in institutions and “expertise,” the “vilification of scientists,” and cuts to research spending that we’re supposedly seeing in America right now. They claim, “As Christians, we cannot be silent about this” because “Christians should be among [science’s] strongest advocates.” Now the question that immediately comes to mind is, “What do they mean by science?”
Throughout the letter, they never really define what they mean by science, but based on their other writings, it’s clear they are lumping historical and observational science together.
Historical science deals with an interpretation of the unobserved past, and BioLogos has the wrong starting point. Instead of starting with God’s Word, they start with man’s ideas and then try to fit God in somewhere. It’s a compromise of mixing man’s ideas (really, man’s religion of atheism and naturalism) with God’s Word—and God hates compromise.
Observational science is science we can directly test and observe (e.g., technology, medicine, etc.), and while this type of science often doesn’t have the same problems regarding interpretation that historical science has, your worldview still matters!
BioLogos states in their letter that “faith compels us to love our neighbor; science gives us practical and effective ways to do so at scale” and “science, when directed by compassion, is one of the most effective tools we have to live out that calling [serving the least of these].” But who decides what is “loving our neighbor” and what is “compassion”?
BioLogos was founded by Dr. Francis Collins, the former head of the National Institutes of Health. During Dr. Collins’ time as its head, the NIH funded research that destroyed human embryos (people, made in the image of God), transplanted the scalps from aborted babies onto the backs of mice, and offered “sex changes” and cross-sex hormones to young children.
Is that kind of grotesque, life-destroying science “loving your neighbor” or showing “compassion”? Not by the absolute standard of God’s Word! But God’s Word is not the standard for Dr. Collins or the organization he founded—man’s word ultimately is. So it’s no surprise that compromise with man’s ideas has gone beyond the origins debate. Since our entire Christian worldview is grounded in Genesis 1–11, as soon as you reject that history, other compromise follows.
It’s also worth noting that throughout the letter, “science” is mentioned over and over again and tied in, with some creative biblical interpretation, to Christ’s commands that we prepare for the future, use our talents wisely, and serve the least of these. It’s treated almost as if it’s the savior of mankind, the one thing God gave us to thrive in this world. What’s missing in the letter is, well, the gospel! It’s never mentioned. Not once. But that’s not surprising because the gospel is not a central teaching in their materials.
When we’re “thinking God’s thoughts after him,” science is good and is a worthy pursuit. That’s why our scientists are leading the way in new research evolutionists can’t do because they don’t have the right timescale. But when our pursuit of science is based on our own human wisdom, ignoring the eyewitness account of history given to us in God’s Word and disregarding his standards for morality, scientific interpretation becomes, at best, foolishness and, at worst, a deadly, hedonistic pursuit of man’s glory and renown.
In the way they publicize things, BioLogos tries to hide what they are really on about so people who are not discerning can easily get sucked into their organization that actually undermines biblical authority and leads people astray.
Yes, science is good . . . when God’s Word is our authority.
