An article from the April 18, 1999 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer was titled "Science, religion talking," with the subtitle "New concepts draw from both sides." It describes the stages at which science and religion have coexisted: centuries ago they were enemies; recently they have tolerated each other in a "philosophical cold war"; and now they are conferencing with each other and maybe learning from each other’s perspectives. In April, representatives of these sides met at the Smithsonian "to explore new ideas." Said one of the participants: "What we’re seeing is an openness to the idea that science does not have all the answers and religion does not have all the answers. … It’s a matter of dialogue rather than trying to prove you have any final system."

Of course, dialogue is good. We are happy to see people from various perspectives come together to discuss their views in a congenial atmosphere. (Would that Christians do that much with each other when they differ!) As far as science and "religion" go, there is no doubt that both sides can learn something. For example, those who believe in the Bible do not do themselves any favors by being hostile to true science. We should recognize that scientific studies have a proper place and function, and can supplement what we know and learn from Scripture. On the other hand, those devoted to science need to learn to recognize that science has its limitations; it is not the final determiner of all truth. It is not equipped to tell one everything there is to know.

The uncomfortable part of this is that there is an all too easy temptation to compromise Biblical principles and teachings with the philosophical biases of scientists who don’t have a lot of use for God in their thinking. In order to make ourselves appear more "scientific," we might capitulate to unbiblical and unproven notions that have been passed off with the tag of science. Theistic evolution is one such capitulation. This kind of compromise is far too dangerous.

Both sides need to keep humble heads. In the article, the new dialogue is marked by such questions as "Where did the universe come from – and what is it ultimately made of?" Some scientists, apparently, think they are "on the threshold of answering those questions with what they call a TOE – a Theory of Everything." This is a "mathematical manifesto" which would explain "all the matter and forces in the universe, where they all came from, and what will become of them." Wow. Talk about arrogance! Other scientists are seeing just the opposite. "The more that is revealed about the embryonic universe, the more apparent a creator’s hand becomes, they say." This is what creationists have long been arguing. The design of the universe points to an intelligent designer (cf. Psa. 19:1). In fact, the study of natural science is possible because it is a creation of an Intelligent Designer. And this is one area that Bible believers cannot give up … or they cease being Bible believers.

Some scientists are still irritated by this type of dialogue. One physicist criticized his colleagues "for engaging in God-talk, which he says is often just a loose metaphor for the impersonal laws of nature." He continued, "We have to stop and ask, what do we mean by God? That has a lot to do with what we’re actually saying here. We do ourselves a disservice when we toss around the word loosely and let people interpret it any way that suits them." He has a point. The title of "God" means many things to many people. Some probably mean nothing much more than impersonal laws of nature. Again, if biblical creationists falter on this point, they’ve given up their foundation for dialogue. God the Creator is the personal, transcendent God that many might ignorantly acknowledge (cf. Acts 17:22ff). Christians have the task of trying to help people in a secularized age understand this Creator, to teach them to turn from "idols" of the world to "a living and true God" (1 Thess. 1:9). Dialogue with anyone should have this as an ultimate goal.

We should not denigrate true science at all. It is an honorable field, one worthy of attention. But we should also remember that scientists have biases, just as everyone else. It is good to see dialogue, but remember that there are some things that science will not answer, and there are things that must not be compromised by those whose faith is in the true God. The Bible may not tell us everything we would like to know, but it does tell us everything we need to know for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3). This is where the greater pursuit is found.

Doy Moyer