Where Modern Science Fails Us Every Single Time by Wade Burleson

A new religion in America

We live in a scientific age. That's obvious to anyone with a modicum of formal education.

However, it's important to know where science will fail you if you let it. Science cannot speak declaratively on the origin or ultimate end of human life, this world, the universe, or even disease.

God alone governs. Science observes.

The best scientists who have ever lived agree that God alone governs us well. They taught that people should rely on God because He's the transcendent Creator, outside of time, and trust that He's bringing all things in time to His ultimate grand and good purpose.

Beginning in the late 1600s, mankind's knowledge began increasing through scientific experimentation, observation, verification, and documentation. Scientists began observing natural processes and drew some conclusions from their research. Historians call this time of our vast increase in scientific knowledge the Age of Enlightenment.

My foremost intellectual heroes come from the dawn of the Enlightenment, men like Isaac Newton (1642 -1726) in physics, John Locke (1632 -1704) in philosophy,  Robert Boyle (1627 -1691) in chemistry, and Christopher Wren (1632 -1723) in architecture and astronomy.

All four men co-founded the Royal Society (established Nov. 28, 1660), the world's oldest scientific institution.

But few people realize that each of these men also loved and appreciated the Word of God/ They each had a deep and abiding faith in God as Creator and Governor of all things. All four are famous for their scientific achievements, but their teachings, expositions, and commentaries on the Bible are also superb and available to everyone online for free.

Christopher Wren's iconic St. Paul's Cathedral in London

Isaac Newton taught about the chronology of ancient nations from his study of the Scriptures. John Locke taught the natural mortality of every man, God's gift of immortality, and the importance of faith in God for meaningful human existence. Robert Boyle, the epitome of a man of science and a man of God, taught the nature of humility within scientific reasoning and to never lose sight that there are some things that transcend human reason. Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's in London, Sainte-Genvieve (now the Pantheon) in Paris, and the major influencer for the later design of the U.S. Capitol, taught that the proclamation (teaching) of God's Word should be the centerpiece of human existence.

Christopher Wren (1672 -1723) also served as the first President of the Royal Society.

He believed that the advancement of knowledge is warranted because the universe is God's footstool, with our transcendent Creator seated above it. When we learn more about our universe, Wren said, we come closer to God.

To these scientists of the Englightenment, nothing happens in our world without either God's permission, or His promotion, or HIs prohibition. God is bringing about a good and eternal purpose for His Creation.

The most thoughtful scientists are always the most delightful theists. A belief in a transcendent God in charge of the world keeps mankind humble. Listen to these four scientists speak.

Isaac Newton -

"God made and governs the world invisibly...and the opposite of godliness is atheism in profession, and idolatry in practice. Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind, that it never has had many professors."

John Locke -

"We have reason and Scripture; unerring rules to know whether something is true. The bent of our own minds may favor something as much as we please but this favoring will be no means prove it what we think to be an offspring of heaven."

Robert Boyle -

"A blind man will suffer himself to be led, though by a dog, or a child. In the Bible, the blind man may learn all requisite knowledge, and the most knowing may learn to discern blind ignorance."

Christopher Wren's Tomb

  Christopher Wren -

LECTOR, SI MONUMENTUM REQUIRIS, CICUMSPICE
"If you seek His monument, look around you."
Translated from the Latin on Wren's Tombstone 

The universe is God's, and He's governing all things from an intentional beginning to a purposeful end.

Compare the intellectual faith of these four great Enlightenment scientists to what New York City's mayor Andrew Cuomo recently said of his city's success in "flattening the curve" of Covid-19 and bringing the number of deaths and cases down. Governor Cuomo minced no words at his press conference.  "The number is down because we brought the number down. God did not do that. Faith did not do that. Destiny did not do that. A lot of pain and suffering did that . . . That’s how it works."

At some point, you are going to have to decide whether want God to govern your life or science. Science will always fail you in its portrayal of the origin and end of all things, including Covid-19.

Nobody's in control but God.

Coronaviruses and God's Plan

When SARS first appeared in  China in November 2002, it rapidly spread throughout Asia. SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was far more deadly than it's close-cousin COVID-19. People got sick and died within two to three days. The mortality rate of SARS was significantly higher than that of COVID-19. Yet, back in 2002/2003, we didn't lock down the world.

Scientists in 2002 and 2003 feverishly worked on a vaccine for SARS. They eventually thought they had one, but later discovered through scientific testing that if that vaccine had been injected into humans, it would have created a new immune pathological disease in those vaccinated.

I'm not against vaccinations. I am, as were all my intellectual heroes of the Enlightenment, against scientists that pretend to be in control of the world.

SARS mysteriously disappeared in the summer of 2003.

Why did SARS disappear? Science cannot tell us, because modern science will fail you and me every single time when it comes to the answers of origin or end. Science can only observe processes and suggest actions.

Science isn't in control of anything.  President Larry P. Arnn of Hillsdale College says it succinctly:

"We must of course listen to experts, but expertise cannot as a simple fact of principle tell us finally what is right to do."

Emmanuel Enid

This Sunday, we are opening our three corporate worship services to the public. We are encouraging everyone to practice personal liberty and either stay home (watching it online) or if you desire, to come to one of the services.

At the entrance to all the buildings, there will be hand sanitizers and masks available. You, of course, may bring your own mask if you desire. The choice of wearing a mask or not is yours alone. Nobody will be judged for wearing a mask, and nobody will be judged for not wearing a mask. I will not be wearing a mask, but I will respect the distance between me and you, though I will not be offended if you come close to me.

We shut down our services 8 weeks ago to be a good neighbor. We were told that our "hospitals will be overrun with the sick and dying, with no capacity to care for the anticipated surge." If you've been living in or around Enid, Oklahoma these last few weeks, you've seen thousands of people out and about at large (essential) box stores, and not only have our cases not gone up, our hospitals are losing money like a sieve and laying off people due to low census. We've had one death attributed to Covid-19, an 86-year-old woman.

Covid-19 is a serious respiratory illness. So was SARS. So will be the next coronavirus that comes our way. Let's learn our lessons now. Let's get prepared as a country with PPE, with new medical equipment, and let's now stock up on other needed hospital supplies. But let's never again shut down the world for lack of medical supplies. Let's be prepared. Shutting down will wind up killing more people than the disease.

Our hearts go out to people affected by Covid-19, just like they go out to families affected by influenza, cancer, strokes, heart attacks, suicide, loss of career, etc.. Our God, who knows the end from the beginning, and He works all things according to His purpose. Take the advice of the Scriptures, and learn from the wisdom of men like Newton, Boyle, Wren, and Locke.

Let God govern you. Not science.

Could I die from COVID-19? Of course. So could you. Could people die from COVID-19 who come to worship services at Emmanuel this Sunday? Maybe. I don't think so, but I'm humble enough to admit I don't know. Unlike modern science, we believe God is the Author of all that begins and ends, not science. The weakness of science is anticipation; the strength of science is observation.

I've observed enough to know its time for us to open, and respect other pastors and churches that don't. I would ask the same courtesy of respect for the choice we've made. You and I could die of influenza next winter. We could die in a violent terrorist attack. We all could die of a new coronavirus that nobody yet knows about, including science, in the year 2022. Science never governs anyone's life very well. God never fails in His purpose.

I learned that from some Enlightened men who lived a long time ago. They taught me to live by this principle:

There are many things worse than dying and at the top of the list is the fear of living. 

When it comes time for us to die, and each of us will die,  our faith in a good God who governs the world will bring us to a home where He will reveal to us "the riches of His grace for eons to come in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).

If you think this blog is too heavy, I leave you with a video inviting people to attend our services this Sunday, and with the Scripture:

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones" (Proverbs 17:22).