Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four rivers. (Genesis 2:9) 

Despite its bad reputation for weather, Newfoundland can be beautiful in the summer.  My wife Anne and I visited our friends Kathleen and Ritchie on Exploits Islands, which are two adjacent islands a 40-minute boat ride from the shore of Notre Dame Bay.  The ocean was warm enough to swim in for hours, the berries were ripe for the picking, and the temperature was a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius, without the humidity found on the mainland. 

It is paradise in summer, a precious place where our friends, now retired, spend their summer months.  They enjoy the fresh cod they catch from the seas around them, an unbelievable tasty treat.  Our visit with them was truly a blessing

“The Lord God then took the man and settled him in the Garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” (Genesis 2:15)

Genesis vs. evolution epitomizes the debate of science vs. religion.  Is there a need for the debate?  Are these two incompatible?  Is it possible to be a scientist and a Christian? Is this an oxymoron?

According to Wikipedia, a scientist is a person engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge that describes and predicts the natural world.  To acquire such concrete knowledge of the natural world allows us to manage our world’s resources better, to fulfill the obligation of Adam described in Genesis.  Science provides the means to knowledge. 

Christians recognize our world, our universe to be the result of God’s generosity.  If God is in the world, and if every atom is a part of God’s generosity, then to know about the universe, how it came about and how it works surely means that we know God better.  As it pertains particularly to the idea of creation, the development of knowledge surrounding evolution or any other aspect of scientific topics for that matter, only serves to gain knowledge of God and thankfulness for his generosity. 

Does that knowledge give us the right to categorize God as an “intelligent designer”, or as a “leave well enough alone” evolution designer?   God cannot be pigeonholed into a category; God is God.  The knowledge gained through science only fosters a growing amazement in an open mind of how things work.  Genesis gives us insight into God’s generosity in creation, but to imagine it as a static document of descriptive non-fiction, or an historical accounting would limit the insight into the imagining of that generosity.  The Bible is a living book, whose relevance and inspiration live beyond and outside its stories, does it not?

The methodology of science becomes a means to discover more about how things have come to be, and how they can change.  Part of being a university scientist is instilling in students a desire to discover new things, and abilities to satisfy that desire to discover.  There is an obligation to foster their intellectual curiosity and insure that they learn to appraise new knowledge in a critically rigorous way. 

Being a scientist is not in any way contradictory to being religious. Understanding the universe better through science allows us to use our resources better, forces us to appraise new knowledge to do a better job of what we do, and encourages us to enable those who are under us to do the same.  Science allows us to know God better through the intricacies of His creation.  Choosing to know God better, choosing to do our jobs better for others and choosing to do these for the glory of God – isn't this the magis?" 

“Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God,

for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it,

because it is judged spiritually

The one who is spiritual, however, can judge everything…” (1Cor 2:14-15)

The sunset over Lower Harbour on Exploits Island is absolutely glorious.  To watch it takes your breath away.  The natural man may appreciate the beauty, but the spiritual man appreciates the love behind it.  And that is absolutely glorious.  The generosity of God in his creation can be seen everywhere of course, but on Exploits Island, it’s easy.