The world is looking for a future god-man. It wants to beat death. Can science eventually make this realization possible? Should we place our faith in scientists?
What about God? Is He still relevant?
We’re told that the Bible – specifically Genesis – isn’t a science text book. Theologians who assert this compromise the biblical narrative because of what they think science proves. They claim that they’re not compromising the Bible – they’re saving it from fundamentalism. Genesis, they insist, is meant to be understood via the lens of poetry, ANE polemics. Take your pick.
There are theologians refute these compromises, and Christian scientists who take the non-evolutionary Genesis creation account at face value. Science doesn’t pose a problem for them. See the suggested reading at the end of this article.
I would suggest, in fact, that the first scientific experiment recorded was the discussion between the serpent and Adam and Eve. It involved knowledge and immortality:
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen 3:4-5
One might even argue that the first failed scientific experiment occurred in Eden. The serpent lied – Adam and Eve did ultimately die. A similar attitude was evident at the failed Babel project (Gen 11:3-8). It prevails to this day.
In many ways, modern science has replaced God. It’s true that aspects of it are cautiously questioned. But by and large the world optimistically looks to it as The Way to solve our problems. It hopes science will bring a cure for cancer, climate change, prolong life, and ultimately eradicate death (among other things).
I found it interesting that historian Yuval Noah Hariri took part in the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos. I’m indebted to John Haller’s presentations in which he highlighted Hariri’s contribution the forum. See the latter portion of this video and the early part of the following week’s presentation.
Hariri wrote a book called Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Part of his “central thesis” (see the Wiki link) is that “organisms are algorithms and Homo sapiens may not be dominant in a universe where dataism becomes the paradigm.” As Wiki puts it:
Technological developments have threatened the continued ability of humans to give meaning to their lives; Harari suggests the possibility of the replacement of humankind with a super-man, or “homo deus” (human god) endowed with abilities such as eternal life.
You can learn more about his concerns from his article Science and Religion. Hariri believes science and religion are allies. He asserts that science is all about power, and religion is about order.
If I read him correctly, he wants religion to provide order for science – a marriage of science and religion. But Hariri isn’t talking about a religion we might presume. He doesn’t think religion needs “gods.” He notes:
…newcomers, such as Jainism and Buddhism in India, Daoism and Confucianism in China, and Stoicism, Cynicism and Epicureanism in the Mediterranean basin, were characterized by their disregard of gods.
Death is uppermost in Hariri’s mind. He takes a dim view of all religions’ acceptance of death as inevitable, including Christianity:
Disciples of progress do not share this defeatist attitude. For men of science, death is not an inevitable destiny, but merely a technical problem. People die not because the gods decreed it, but due to various technical failures – a heart attack, cancer, an infection. (Emphasis mine)
So there you have it in a nutshell.
Another writer who appears to reject God is Dan Brown. His book “Origin” has an atheist computer scientist (Edmond Kirsch) murdered by a religious figure. Ostensibly this is because Kirsch has evidence to dispense with religion and wants to usher in an age of science.
Brown assigned fact-checkers for Origin. Perhaps this was because his Da Vinci Code received so much criticism. He also introduces a character called Jeremy England, based on the real-life scientist Jeremy England. The book’s fictional England is there to support the premise that his research shows life can emerge through the laws of physics alone.
There’s just one small problem. The real England is an Orthodox Jew who believes that God is not only real, but the cause behind the physical processes we observe. You can read more HERE and HERE.
So much for fact-checking!
Man’s rejection of the true biblical God, and preoccupation with science and death, makes me wonder about the prophetic world leader, commonly called Antichrist. This future character will also reject the gods of his fathers (Dan 11:37).
There’s much current speculation in prophecy circles as to whether Artificial Intelligence or genetics will be somehow involved in the coming Antichrist. Will part of his deception be the promise of immortality through science, as in Eden? Who knows?
One thing is sure; he will deceive many into worshipping him as a god (2 Thess 2:4; Rev 13:4).
Yet there is only ONE who is fully God and fully man – and that is Jesus Christ (Phil 2:5-10). This God-man created everything (John 1:1-3). One day all will kneel to Him. Moreover, far from being “defeatist”, Christianity is victorious through Christ’s resurrection (1 Cor 15: 55-57).
Like it or not, God made all things and all these things belong to Him – not science or man. There’s not much point in attaining immortality in a universe which is winding down (Rom 8: 22-24) and in need of renovation (2 Pet 3:10; Rev 21:1).
For all its gadgetry and technological promises, science will ultimately fail to save humanity. Look to the true coming God-man. But do it now.
The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Rom 8:16-18
Maranatha!
Suggested reading:
The Genesis Account
Creation And Change
The Created Cosmos
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