I believe John Calvin got it right when he spoke of the total depravity of man. If we had the ability, in any way, to save ourselves, then Jesus would not have needed to come down from Heaven.
I’m a Calvinist. I believe in the total depravity of man: we are saved only by the sovereign grace of God, who imputes Christ’s righteousness to us. This makes me extremely skeptical of utopian schemes and the good faith of my fellow man–especially when man’s promises are founded on anything but faith in Jesus Christ.
In our orgulity we have set up all these God-free, no-need-for-a-Savior zones–wee little corners of our lives like business, politics, entertainment, what we say, what we do, what we think… One of those little God-free corners is Science.
It is impossible, theologically, for Science to be any more free than the used car business, or Congress, from fraud, mendacity, greed, false witness, or any other sin. Which is not to say that Science is useless, or of less value than another human enterprise. It’s just one of many, all of them subject to the same human limitations.
Don’t set up cults, don’t give politicians power, don’t give that guy from the Nigerian email your credit card number–and don’t stop believing the Bible because Science tells you different.
I’ve come to think of it in terms of belief systems. Everyone has a belief system, for some it is rooted in belief in a Creator, for others it is belief in some human philosophy, be it science, some political theory or whatever else makes them feel good.
It is the validity of our belief system which determines our outcome. Millions in Germany believed in Hitler and his promises and they ended up with w devastated nation because of it. When I look around me and see what was created, my only choice is to believe in the Creator to set matters right. God’s stuff works.
Unknowable, I think you would really like reading Corneilus Van Til’s philosophy of presupposition. Our starting point determines everything in our thinking..
. . . and don’t be anywhere near Richard Dawkins close to mealtime. True science would, of necessity, acknowledge God. Science has become a cult/religion – it’s called Scientism. They’ve made themselves little gods. Good luck with that!
Well said, Lee! If anyone will read Ephesians chapter one, or Romans chapters 9&10 slowly and carefully, it is pretty hard not to be a Calvinist.