(by Phil Bishop)
I am a skeptic. I am also a scientist, a profession very appropriate for skeptics. I am also a Christian, a philosophy many people think inappropriate for a skeptic. Perhaps surprisingly to some, I have found my skepticism and my training and research as a scientist actually strengthens my belief in Christianity. And Christianity in turn makes me properly skeptical of science.
Because the term is used often and vaguely, I need to operationally define what I mean by Christianity. In "Christianity" I include all who embrace the following key points:
1) Man in his natural birth state is separated from God, is naturally disobedient to God and rebels against God's plan for man.
2) Jesus Christ is the Son of God, is God, and the Savior of the world, who came to earth as a man and who died at a young age to provide a means of reuniting God and man.
3) That Christ's death on the cross is totally sufficient to reconcile man to God in that HE totally paid for our shortcomings. There is nothing I can do to contribute to Christ's work. My deeds may have direct and indirect rewards, but have nothing to do with God's unconditional love for me and HIS relationship with me through Christ.
4) That because of what Christ has already done, because of our thankfulness, our actions and attitudes should align with Christ's teachings.
I became a Christian as a young man embracing these four basic points. As a teenager, I went to the US Naval Academy where I studied engineering and science. After 8 years as a US Naval officer, I went to graduate school and earned a doctoral degree in Physical Education with specialty in Exercise Physiology.
I have published over 130 refereed papers. As my expertise in science has grown, so has my belief in Christianity. For example, an understanding of statistical design has given me an insight into the philosophical aspects of Type I and Type II statistical errors. If I do not believe in God and that's an error, I may suffer eternally. If I do believe in God and that's an error, I may be deluded but happy none-the-less. Which is the more serious error?
As I have studied, my comprehension of the breadth of our ignorance has humbled me. For all our study of the human body, I am amazed at how little we really understand. When someone argues they don't believe in God because they can't understand everything about God or because they have not seen experimental proof, I ask them to apply the same standards to science. We believe a great deal in physiology that we neither understand fully nor can demonstrate with conclusive proof. If we know so very little about the physical body which is so much more easily studied, how can we expect to have full knowledge of spiritual and philosophical issues?
But what about you? Are you content? Are you willing to take the risk that God doesn't exist because we can't prove him with our weak knowledge and methods? Don’t graduate without considering the BIG QUESTIONS in life. Why are we here? What are we to do with our lives? How can we be truly successful? To be truly educated, you need to seek out these answers. I’d be happy to help you start your search for answers.
God speed!
