Science, Religion & Evolution

See The Ezra Project

The Enlightenment ushered in Rationalism as a philosophy of life where Philosophy abandoned the
study of Divinity and Religion to focus it's efforts on rationalism and natural law. This created the fork
in the road between Religion and Science in which science was separated from the controls and
'superstition' of Religion and fell under the sway of Rationalism, now known as Secular Humanism.

It cannot be denied that prior to the Reformation, the Church (often arrogantly) dictated and censored
the physical sciences.
In many ways Christianity has created enemies in Science unnecessarily by not following Paul's
injunction to live peaceably with all men as much as we are able. This unfortunately set science and
religion in opposition to one another when a little humility and faith would have allowed honest
research into the wonders of creation without fear.

Believers should be able to allow investigation with all that that entails without condemning those who
don't agree with us or are skeptical in their investigation Eventually science and faith will stand side by
side in truth and understanding, and I suspect there will be a few theologians more than a little
embarrassed (Galileo's persecutors come to mind) and many scientists as well.

However, today we are faced with cynicism at best and often with outright atheism in the sciences
rather than with allies chronicling the immense complexity of creation as fellow workers in a common
cause. We find ourselves in opposition and conflict.

One of the results of this conflict is seen in the development of "Natural Religion" in the late 17th
century. Also known as Deism, in it's original form the deist believed in the Creator and in reward and
punishment after death but not in personal salvation nor the supernatural intervention of God in the
affairs of mankind. The deists did not believe in the fall nor the inherent 'falleness' of mankind or
original sin and the need of a Saviour. Men choose to be what they are, either righteous or unrighteous,
just or unjust and will be rewarded accordingly. The Deism is founded upon personal ethics and more
resembles a Philosophy and a World view than a faith.

The Reformation and work of the Reformers made it possible for the Rational Philosophers of the
Enlightenment who followed to hold views apart from the churches dogma, a freedom not previously
enjoyed. Prior to these events the Church's doctrines were protected and enforced by civil authority,
often violently, against dissenters which led to a negative reaction to all things Christian by some, and
resulted in the questioning of church doctrine when it became safe to do so by many.
This lead to the development of rationalism and idealism as a main thrust of the enlightenment, and
these led directly to a liberal view of Christianity which in turn produced both theistic deism and
atheism out of which was born the liberal attempt to reduce the authority of God's word to a humanistic
level.
In order to achieve this it was necessary to either deny scriptural authority altogether, which was the
atheists tact, or else, demythologize and naturalize the Oracles of God, thus reducing faith to the Deist
view of existence also called "Natural Religion"