Blind Scientists & The Elephant

I have heard the joke about four blind men trying to describe an elephant while each one is stationed at a particular quadrant of his anatomy. The comedy comes from their not knowing it is an elephant they are describing.

A recent article on Fox News about the "Violence of the Universe" provides a real world look at the joke. The problem with the scientists in the article is not that they are blinded but that they have on purpose closed their eyes. What do I mean? Here's an example.

They painstakingly comb the cosmos looking for clues as to the origin of the universe. The article even credits them with "improving their understanding of the basic questions of the universe - such as how did it all start and where is it all going." If the evidence points to God, many scientists will not explode with Psalm 19 but will come up with some goofy and lauditory statement about the universe itself. Here were two from the article:

• "This is the glory of the universe," added J. Craig Wheeler, president of the astronomy association. "What is odd and what is normal is changing."
• "Intellectually and spiritually, if I can use that word with a lower case 's,' it's awe-inspiring," Wheeler said. "It's a great universe."

I am all for following the evidence where it leads. Francis Schaeffer points out in many of his works that knowing the universe is created by a knowable God allows for scientists to venture into the world with the expectation of learning about the Creation itself. In otherwords, the general revelation (the world and heavens around us) will not contradict the specific revelation (God's word).

What many scientists have done is eliminate the possibility of God as cause. We cannot allow the supernatural as an explanation for the natural, they cry. If you begin at the outset by eliminating God as the possible solution and in truth He is the solution, then the scientist will NEVER come to the truth.

They have closed their eyes and, in awe, continue to grope the elephant.

Photos by NASA and Tracy respectively