THURSDAY, February 25

Psalm 19. The law of the LORD is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure and gives wisdom to the innocent. The statutes of the LORD are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear and gives light to the eyes.

Law is the product of an intelligence other than humanity's. As Lord Balfour noted, it is unthinkable that certain electrons have assembled themselves and finally produced the mind of men and women, and that their minds can then analyze the nonintelligent forces which created it.

The order of the planets, the order in nature, the order in our physical bodies, could not possibly be the result of chance. Law and order in the physical universe demand an intelligence to create them if they demand an intelligence to appreciate them. A human mind could not be superior to the author of the universe.

The observance and the analysis of these laws enable us to have a science which assumes that there is an ordered universe. If things had sprung from chance there could be no science, because there would be no certainty that a given cause would give a dependable result. When the laws discovered by science are broken, the result is sure to be disastrous to life.

Incline our hearts, O Lord, to keep thy law. (1937)

PRAY for the Diocese of Benin (Prov. of Bendel, Nigeria)

Ps 50 * [59, 60] or 19, 46; Genesis 39:1-23; 1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15; Mark 2:1-12

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Feb 25, 2010 at 5:18 am

Written by Andrea,

What if science breaks its own laws? As quantum physicists learns more, for instance, many of the "laws" this writer spoke so confidently of in 1937 are shown to be only partially applicable at best. This meditation seems to me to be an illustration of the very thing it cautions against - of being too certain that we know what may in fact be unknowable. Whether God designed the physical laws of the universe and the mind of humanity, or just created the conditions under which everything would come to be, the mind of God is beyond human understanding. Science and religion address different questions, IMHO, and we when we conflate them, we diminish both.

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Fr., priest in the Diocese of Massachusetts

Feb 25, 2010 at 7:22 am

Written by Dean (Borgman),

What I think you're missing, Andrea, is the fact that science is based on epistemological assumptions. Our observations of nature and reasoning about quantum physics are based on assumptions about the correspondence of thinking to reality, a confidence in human reasoning, which has been debated by philosophers. Science and faith are separate for me but unified by certainty and truth from a self-revealing God. Otherwise you become lord of science and religion. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

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Yes and No

Feb 25, 2010 at 7:28 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

I don't disagree. I would express it a little differently. Science and Religion address the same question(s) from different perspectives. I live in the desert. When I stand alone (or sit as I get older) watching the cosmic clock revolve; I am faced with the questions, "Is this real?" and "Is this created?" My gut-level-value reaction is that it is real, and it is created. From my perspective science and religion are formal social structures built around those very human questions and perceptions.

Thank you God for all your bounty and goodness towards us.

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God does not require a rational or logical explanation.

Feb 25, 2010 at 7:50 am

Written by John Hughes,

Today's observation dimishes the wonder of God. God is beyond logic and rationality.

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The law of the Lord

Feb 25, 2010 at 7:54 am

Written by Steve Doutt,

I do agree with the Psalmist that the Law of the Lord is perfect. If everyone simply obeyed the ten commandments peace would rule the planet and love would rule the stars. And for those of us who have trouble with math Jesus summarized them, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." (Luke 10.27; Matt 22.34; Mark 12.2 and if I may paraphrase, 'On these two commandments hang all science and religion.'
Confer also, Deut 6.5; Lev 19.18; Mic 6.8; James 2.8

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Feb 25, 2010 at 7:57 am

Written by Ken Anderson,

As I have given thought to the science vs. religion question that has permeated society for hundreds of years, I have come to this conclusion. God created all that exists and he created mankind in his own image. God gave us intelligence and thirst for knowledge above all others. Science is the endeavor to understand the underlying workings of all of God's creation whether we admit it or not. God must marvel and rejoice at how we have learned the mysteries of the world around us and perhaps laughs when we are completely wrong.

Science does not negate or diminish the existence of God nor does the belief in God or the practice of religion negate the validity of scientific discoveries. Science and the ability to unravel and attempt to understand the physical world around us is one of the gifts God gave us.

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Feb 25, 2010 at 9:01 am

Written by Andrea,

Great discussion today! What I meant is that talking about God in scientific terms diminishes God, and that (IMHO) talking about science in religious terms misses the point. Science is one way of seeing and understanding the world. It creates its own narrative, its own priorities, its own set of what is acceptable as "real" or "factual." The Biblical narrative operates in another way. It is not always "factual" perhaps, but it is profoundly true. As products of our times, we tend to want everything to fit neatly in one narrative. Thus we get attempts to "prove" the Bible is true by searching for Noah's ark or Jesus's tomb. And attempts by those like the writer of the meditation to say that God must be the Lord of Science, because, as he writes, "When the laws discovered by science are broken, the result is sure to be disastrous to life." I believe God's truth is beyond the scientific narrative we've created.

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Feb 25, 2010 at 12:29 pm

Written by Mary P,

God doesn't need science to prove that He is, but I love how the things that we discover using science inevitably point to Him. Wonderful topic today, enjoying the comments as well. Interesting discussion and food for thought, thank you all.

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Mr

Feb 25, 2010 at 8:26 pm

Written by John Wheeler,

The 1937 meditation does not get erased by dicoveries in physics since; it could have been written in 2010 and still stand valid. Unsettling and mysterious new findings will unfold in the 21st Century. But the literal terms of the 1937 meditation will stand intact as to those new findings, perhaps even more so.

CS Lewis made the same argument as the 1937 meditation. It is a strong argument. Lewis sees himself as converted by Reason. Perhaps he was - that is hard and rare.

Faith is more often and maybe always a Gift. We can pray for the Gift to be given or carried to others. So Reason is only part of the dissemination of Faith, I think.

We each can help carry the Gift.

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Feb 25, 2010 at 10:00 pm

Written by Steve Doutt,

"When the laws discovered by science are broken, the result is sure to be disastrous to life." I just realized that in 1937 the minds of scientists and poets around the world were conceptualizing an explosive atomic chain reaction.

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