Conflation and the War Between Science and Religion
by Cowboy Bob Sorensen
Back when I was giving talks on creation science, I used what has become a very popular quote by an atheist:
‘Christianity has fought, still fights, and will continue to fight science to the desperate end over evolution, because evolution destroys utterly and finally the very reason Jesus’ earthly life was supposedly made necessary. Destroy Adam and Eve and the original sin, and in the rubble you will find the sorry remains of the Son of God. If Jesus was not the redeemer who died for our sins, and this is what evolution means, then Christianity is nothing.
— G. Richard Bozarth, ‘The Meaning of Evolution’, American Atheist, p. 30. 20 September 1979.The way I study on it, this quote would have been mostly forgotten if biblical creationists hadn't lassoed it and kept repeating it.
"Why do you people keep repeating it, Cowboy Bob?"
Thanks for asking. We repeat it because it's right. Vituperative and biased, but right. This was back in 1979. Evolutionists and atheists have been doing a bait 'n' switch for a long time by conflating (or equivocating, even equating, almost the same thing) the words science with evolution. Particles-to-people evolution is a belief system about the distant past where people attempt to use scientific methods, principles, discoveries and so on to justify an evolutionary worldview. The belief in evolution is the starting point for interpreting data.
Likewise, creation science is a belief system about the distant past where people attempt to use scientific methods, principles, discoveries and so on to justify a creationist worldview. Our belief in the biblical account of creation is our starting point for interpreting data. Atheists often ridicule Christians because our foundation is different from theirs — and theirs is "right" because they said so. But we all have the same data, the same facts — there is no stacking up their facts against our facts. In fact, a fact is a fact. It's the interpretation of facts that cause the disagreements.
Evolutionists and atheists hate this truth with a passion: Creation and evolution are equally religious and equally scientific. You see, everyone has an ultimate starting point — a worldview and presuppositions. We interpret information through them. Some make science into a kind of religion (Scientism), and there is no reality that cannot be determined scientifically, This worldview is self-refuting. God's Word is the basis of the Christian's worldview (or it should be!), and the Bible is self-affirming.
Let's ride down this trail a bit more.
Atheists have insisted for a long time that there is a war between "science" and "religion". That is the opposite of the truth. Creationists put this idea six feet under long ago by pointing out that there are many creationist scientists, and there is no conflict between their faith and real science.
In the quote by Bozarth, he conflated "science" with "evolution" (atheists often get sneaky and also conflate "reason" with "atheism"; if you're not an atheist, you don't use reason and logic — "logic vs. creationism", for instance). Other heroes of unbelief also do this, and it is false. You do not need to believe in evolution to be a good scientist. F'rinstance, there are people working together literally doing rocket science, some are creationists, some are evolutionists, and their views of origins have no bearing on their ability to do science work. This happens in other fields as well.
However, many anti-creationists have been denying that there is a difference between historical and operational sciences:
Spot the zombie? The "war between science and religion" concept was buried by biblical creationists, but atheists dug it up and reanimated it by conflating "evolution" with "science". Again, there is a war between the truth (biblical creation science) and the lie (evolution and billions of years), but no war between science and religion/faith. Watch for this deception, it's quite common.
Evolution is a cornerstone for the religion of atheism. Clinton R. Dawkins said, "Darwin made it possible for me to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist". Since evolution is scientifically and logically a pile of meadow muffins, it's no surprise that atheists play so many disingenuous word games and use logical fallacies to "protect science" (meaning, guard evolution from scrutiny).
It's sad that many Christians do not recognize the importance of our foundations in Genesis. Some atheists understand it far better than many Christians! In fact, C. Richard Dawkins states it clearly:
I think the evangelical Christians have really sort of got it right in a way, in seeing evolution as the enemy. Whereas the more, what shall we say, sophisticated theologians are quite happy to live with evolution, I think they are deluded. I think the evangelicals have got it right, in that there is a deep incompatibility between evolution and Christianity, and I think I realized that about the age of sixteen.
— Richard Dawkins interviewed by Richard Conder on Revelation TV, Feb 2011
One of the biggest barriers for people to come to faith in Christ is evolution. When you have Christians that are reluctant to stand for the truth, are unable to answer questions about it, and also fall for the devious tricks from atheists (including conflation), there are problems. Atheists and evolutionists utterly despise those of us who take an uncompromising stance on our biblical foundations. Creation science ministries not only show evidence for creation and refute evolution, but also seek to equip Christians to present the gospel — these ministries are a resource. Are we getting ridiculed, lied about, mocked, libeled and so on? Yup. Shall we compromise? Not hardly.
