Question 9 – Does belief in God slow progress?

"Both religion and science require a belief in God. For believers, God is in the beginning, and for physicists He is at the end of all considerations." - Max Planck, the father of quantum theory and Nobel laureate

Here in the Czech Republic (and I believe not here only), the totally mistaken idea that faith, as such, supports social decline, backwardness and the inhibition of scientific advancement is always circulating. Yes, I acknowledge that some believers may give such an impression. Nothing, however, changes the fact that this argument is totally mistaken (at least as fat as Christianity is concerned). In the section of questions under the topic of science and faith I show that Christianity is not in opposition to reason. Paradoxically, it is, in many ways the complete opposite – present science owes its existence precisely to Christianity to a certain extent (see question 53)! In short, a person does not have to throw off logical thinking, reason or ever suppress his IQ in order to believe in God. This reality is supported by the fact that continually more and more scientists and highly educated people are declaring to be Christians and that many in history also declared themselves to be Christians. I, myself, personally know tens of highly educated Christians from teachers, doctors, psychologists, engineers to a professor of nuclear physics. Dear readers, do you believe that these people are also inhibiting the advancement of our society?

Despite the reality given above, it is true that the basic statements of the Christian faith are accepted by faith and are not exactly of a scientific (experimental) character:

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation." (Hebrews 11:1-2)

And also:

"And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him." (Hebrews 11:6)

It is completely true. A person must trust in many things and depend upon God. This is also so in many cases when circumstances are not exactly favourable to us. It is at these times that true faith can seem really irrational and blind. Of course, we cannot forget the fact that if we decide to enter into the Christian faith (trust), we have a great many supporting proofs, arguments and indications that show that:

1. God exists.
2. Jesus Christ really lived and was raised from the dead.
3. The Bible can be trusted.

= the trust in God that the Bible describes is rational and legitimate.

We will deal with the defence of this claim later. I would just like to stress here the reality that 'blind faith', in the sense of trust, is a daily reality and no one considers it as something to be laughed at or as abnormal. This includes those (generally materialists) who mock having a faith in God. The average sceptic and the hardened atheist display their trust and faith in a thousand facts daily. Whether it is the fact that an aeroplane does not fall on his house, the natural gas in his neighbour's house does not blow up, a tree does not fall on him, his car does not explode, the bus runs according to its timetable etc. All of us then, in most cases, are set on a regime to 'believe' to 'trust'.

I doubt that someone checks the flightpath of an aeroplane, checks his neighbour's natural gas furnace every day or checks the state of the trees in the area where he goes for walks. He simply believes (or hopes) blindly without checking.

'But that's something different!' someone might object. My answer – yes and no. The personal experience of innumerable Christians shows that God is faithful and His thoughts toward them are good. These personal experiences along with other rational arguments give believers the certainty that their faith is based on a firm foundation.

However, I cannot say that for aeroplanes that crash, gas furnaces that explode and many other things that I cannot verify or many other cases of trust applied in daily life. What about marriage or your relationship with your children? If you have children, you certainly know what a joy it is when your children/child places complete (blind) trust in you or your wife/husband. How it warms your heart that someone trusts you in this way. In the same way, God is pleased when we place our complete trust and hope in Him. Why would a person who has decided to trust God (say, even on the basis of much proof that He exists) have to slow the progress of society or 'climb back into the trees'?

What exactly is this progress of society?

Let's return once more to this question. It is true that as a Christian I would not support science projects of the type - 'How did everything originate?', 'When did lizards start to grow wings?' and similar projects, which according to my view are not meaningful. I would label them as dead end streets which cost mankind/humanity unimaginable sums of money globally (in the sums of thousands of billions) and don't even lead anywhere. Most similar projects of this type have nothing to do with science which result in practical and useful things (computers, cars, artificial hearts). We can turn it around – you belong to those who say, 'If God existed, He would not allow hunger in the world!' Why not try then to figure our how many billions and how many generations of poor in the world could be well-fed by all the money that is wasted on the number of often nonsensical, 'wannabe' scientific or military projects. Hunger would not exist! Who is to blame? God, perhaps? Try to think about this. No, I do not want to rail against science and scientific research. Faith in God should not be an impediment to the advancement of scientific/technological progress and it isn't such according to my view. Conversely, it is understandable why these blind projects exist. As soon as society builds its values on the belief that God does not exist, it must logically direct its strength and resources toward areas which it believes replaces God. If, however, God does exist, then most of this effort is simply a waste of lives, time and astronomical financial resources which could have been used far better somewhere else and much more meaningfully.

But what, for instance, the progress of morals? Progress in thought/thinking? Is that not something different?

Some people think that Christian churches are backward and slow down progress in the following way, that they always insist on certain values that today's society (above all the west) consider to have been overcome/out-dated. Examples of such are attitudes to sex before marriage, homosexuality, abortion etc. If, however, someone considers the church to be a hindrance to this progress then, in this case he/she is right. Thank God for that! Personally, I consider (and believe that some hardened atheists would agree) that today's society is (as far as ethics and values are concerned) in a lamentable state and is degenerating rather than making progress. Consequently, it is really about how we define societal progress. Faith in God in no way hinders new discoveries. On the contrary, I perceive that it helps to propel/drive it forward. On the other hand, faith in God protects humanity from the ethical and moral decay with which we meet and which causes more harm than we can imagine.

"Do not be afraid of being free thinkers. If you think strongly enough you will be forced by science to the belief in God." - Lord Kelvin, legendary physicist who helped lay the foundations of thermodynamics

Summation

Faith in God is in no case in conflict with science, understood facts and in no way hinders the meaningful advancement of society. In the separate section of questions dealing with science, this reality will be clearly shown.

"I cannot understand a scientist who would not recognize a Higher Intelligence in the whole system of creation, nor could I understand a theologian who would deny the progress of science. Religion and science are sisters." - Wernher von Braun, rocket pioneer and father of modern spaceflight

"Science investigates; religion interprets. Science gives man knowledge, which is power; religion gives man wisdom, which is control." - Martin Luther King Jr.