Dumidu Handakumbura: Believe in God not in spite of science but because of it

I believe in God and the gospel. As a kid who grew up on sci-fi and documentaries, I also believe in science as a force for good. At first glance, Science and God may seem at odds but the more you start looking at the facts the more you will understand how science actually points towards God rather than point away from him. Once you make this realization, you will start to look at science in a new light and see it as a tool in your spiritual life. You will also become better equipped to avoid the pit falls the enemy would want to see you fall in to.

The first step in bringing about the correct perspective on science is to understand the most sensible way in which we prove something as valid. In simple mathematics we can prove without a shred of doubt, an answer is correct. As the complexity of the math increases(say to the level used by physicist), the answers become probabilistic, where you can only say an answer is correct to an X degree of accuracy or probability. Although these answers are not 100% correct we still use them and for most purposes in life they work just fine. Similarly, the most sensible way in which to prove creationism lies in a line of reasoning called ‘inference to the best explanation’[1]. In simple, this is a practical means of explanation, where we take into consideration all the hypotheses that explain an event and conclude the hypotheses that best explains the event to be true.

For example, let us take into consideration the two events, the origin of the universe and the origin of life. Considering the former, science points to a definite beginning of the universe (the big bang), when time, energy, matter and even the laws of physics came into existence. If we consider what caused the big bang(as causality is the scientific way) the answer, whatever it may be must be something that transcends everything that came to be as a consequence of the event, meaning an entity that is above time, energy and the laws of physics. Considering the later event, there’re evidence that point to a deliberate tuning of the laws of the universe [2] that make it hospitable to life. Moreover, if we look at the actual origin of life. There doesn’t seem to be a scientific explanation to how chemicals went from being just that to being living cells. If you break down even the most simple living cell into individual chemicals and molecules, then calculate the odds of all those individual elements existing and then arranging in that exact combination to create life in a completely natural process, the odds are astronomically small. So what can we deduce if we use inference to the best explanation on all of these facts? It points to a creator who created the universe out of nothing, who is omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence, a creator who isn’t idle but interferes. Alternatively, if you look to deductive proof to explain these two events, the reality is you will not get any answers either way in your lifetime (or never).

Once you have adopted ‘inference to the best explanation’ mindset, you will not get stuck on deductive ambiguity of science on questions of faith and begin to trust it as a tool in strengthening your spiritual life.