On Our Origins

There are few places one can go in this world where faith and science are not both present. These are two of the most significant pillars of society, right up there with the rule of law. They are even bigger than institutions, because both are part of the fabric of our culture and factor into every twenty-first-century human being’s concept of origin and self. 
There is tension between these two basic views of human origins for many reasons. They have mutually exclusive bases for their ideologies. The basis of one is a revealed knowledge of God in the Scriptures, while the other is only concerned with natural knowledge. This means they operate with vastly different approaches and means. 
Both have also laid claim to the domain of ultimate truth. Both have provided people with much good and have also been used against humanity to accomplish much evil. But do discerning human beings who want to have the most holistic knowledge of the true nature of existence have to choose between faith and science? 
Many on both sides of the debate insist that you can’t have it both ways. I happen to believe that every human being, whether he or she is aware of it or not, doesn’t exist without some measure of knowledge of the material and spiritual domain. We live in a physical realm and all have faith in something. The “something” that ultimately directs your choices in life, which is the reason for everything you hold to be true, is your god. 
We live in a culture that is very spiritual and yet secular and science-driven. If we are to come to a correct understanding of our realm, ourselves, and our God, it is essential for us to come to terms with our beginnings. The reason the study of beginnings has been one of the essential quests of humanity since the dawn of civilization is that where we’ve come from will inform us of who we are and where we are headed. 
Every person—whether he or she is a person of faith or not—strives on a lifelong quest to figure out his or her identity. Who am I? We also strive to make an impact or a difference. Who will I become? Most people would like to make an impact that lasts longer than their time upon the earth. How will I be remembered? Keenly aware of our mortality, we also want to know what, if anything, lies before us when this life is over. Where am I going? 
You will answer each of these questions for yourself. How you live will demonstrate how you answer these questions. This is true whether or not you understand how or why you’ve become who you are. 
What is observed in science (natural knowledge) and what is perceived by faith (revealed knowledge) both form our decisions to the above questions. However, when we demonize faith or science, we are held back from achieving a full understanding of self, why we’ve done what we’ve done, and how we’ve become who we are. 

Reason to Believe or Not to Believe 
Since a creation story is the foundation of both the secular scientific and Christ-centered worldviews, we will examine the framework of both creation accounts in light of each other. The study of origins covers fields as diverse as astronomy, biology, cosmology, geology, mathematics, physics, psychology, sociology, theology, and others. Because such a wide range of fields and topics will be breached, exploration of the key components of origins theory will follow the order of creation described by Moses. By drawing from divergent fields and the work of many who don’t agree on much of anything regarding the origins of the universe and humanity, those of a scientific and/or a Christ-centered mindset will grow in their understanding of many issues at the heart of the debate about human origins. 
Where you think you’ve come from will determine who you are and your view of your future (or lack thereof). In other words, how you answer the questions about your origin will provide the default answer to every question about your identity, purpose, and future. This is why origins theory is so important. Your foundational view of reality is the basis of every answer to every question about your identity. 
Adrift in a flood of competing theories and so-called proof of where humanity has come from, many have drowned in disillusionment with science or faith. Is faith the enemy of science, as some have suggested? Is secularism the greatest current threat to personal faith and the cultural relevance of the church? Until becoming acquainted with the basis of both worldviews, no one can have a fully informed answer to such questions. 
Before Darwin, Christianity was the predominant culture of Western Civilization. Martin Rees has recently noted that science has now become the global culture. As we recognize the past and look forward to the future, it is important to be conversant from both vantage points. This study will help people make more informed decisions regarding the most important questions in this life. Even if the reader rejects what is proposed, at least he or she will have a better understanding of what he or she is rejecting and potential implications for his or her future.