Do Creationists Deny Science?

Evolutionists often claim that creationists deny science. But what science do creationists deny? And what does history say?

Foundation of science

Before discussing science, we should wonder why it even works. Science requires an orderly universe, but why should it be orderly in the first place? Evolution can’t explain it. God gave mankind dominion (Genesis:1:28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
See All...), implying we are meant to study the creation and find out how it works. However, the Bible teaches a Divine Lawmaker—the God of Order, not confusion (1 Corinthians:14:33For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
See All...)—made the universe. God gave mankind dominion (Genesis:1:28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
See All...), implying we are meant to study the creation and find out how it works. (See also creation.com/whyscience.)

University, a medieval church invention, first laid the foundations of science. Its pioneers were often clergymen, what we might call natural philosophers (natural philosophy was the old term for ‘science’). A few centuries later, the Reformation led to the rediscovery of a more objective understanding of Scripture, which was transferred to nature. Science historian Peter Harrison wrote, “The Bible and its literal interpretation have played a vital role in the development of Western science.” (See creation.com/roots.)

Let’s explore several scientific branches to see if creationists deny them. Actually, why would we deny these sciences, since creationists founded them? (See creation.com/name-game.)

Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) discovered the three laws of planetary motion. He also invented the refracting telescope used by modern astronomers, and discovered how eyes focus incoming light. He said his scientific work was “thinking God’s thoughts after him.”

Robert Boyle (1627–1691) overturned the pagan-Greek view of four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. Instead, he proposed the modern scientific definition: a substance that can’t be broken down into anything simpler. Boyle discovered that gas volume is inversely proportional to pressure (e.g. the smaller the volume of a gas, the higher its pressure). He also wrote books defending Christianity.

Albert Einstein’s three scientific heroes were Faraday, Maxwell, and Newton (creation.com/einsteins-heroes). Michael Faraday (1791–1867), a member of a very conservative Christian sect (the Sandemanians), pioneered electrochemistry (important for electroplating) and magnetic induction (vital for electric generators). James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879) hugely contributed to thermodynamics, and his electromagnetism equations were foundational for Einstein’s relativity. Maxwell rejected Darwinism and affirmed Noah’s Flood. Sir Isaac Newton (1642/3–1727) discovered the laws of motion, gravity, and cooling, and the spectrum of light. But he wrote more about Scripture than science.

Newton also co-invented calculus. Other outstanding creationist mathematicians include Blaise Pascal (1623–1662), discoverer of probability and hydraulics, and Leonhard Euler (1707–1783), who probably discovered more mathematics than anyone else.
So creationists are hardly likely to reject physical sciences, having played a huge part in discovering and developing them. But maybe creationists deny biology? Actually, creationists founded many branches of biology, too.

Gregor Mendel (1822–1884) discovered genetics while he was a monk, then an abbot. Darwin ignored his work and had a completely wrong view of inheritance. John Sanford (b. 1950) invented the gene gun and showed how rapid gene mutation makes evolution impossible. Also, he showed that we would be extinct if long-age dogma were true.

James Simpson pioneered anesthesia, especially to relieve childbirth pain. Some evolutionary propaganda accuses Christians of opposing anesthesia, as it supposedly attacks God’s decree that women suffer childbirth pain (Genesis:3:16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
See All...). Simpson’s biblically justified retort was that God used anesthesia on Adam to make Eve. And Jesus showed that alleviating aspects of the Curse was a blessing. No notable Christian raised any religious objection to Simpson; most were highly supportive (see creation.com/simpson).

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) discovered bacteria. He said they “glorify the Lord and Creator of the Universe.” Joseph Lister (1827–1912) was a dedicated Christian who saved countless lives by inventing antiseptic surgery. Louis Pasteur (1822–1895), a firm believer in creation, disproved spontaneous generation (life from non-life). One antibiotic penicillin discoverer was Ernst Chain (1906–1979), an Orthodox Jew and strident anti-Darwinist.

What’s left to deny?

Evolution relies on variation and natural selection. But creationists don’t even deny these. Not today, and not even before Darwin (1809–1882). We just deny the unproven claim that such processes could turn bacteria into biologists.

Anglican Bishop John Wilkins (1614–1672) founded the metric system and the Royal Society. He also realized that comparatively few Ark kinds gave rise to many more varieties. Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778), who some called ‘the Second Adam’ for classifying creatures (Jesus is the Last Adam—1 Corinthians:15:45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
See All...), understood that God created them to vary. Creationists don’t deny real science; they founded most types of science.

Historians of biology inform us that pre-Darwinian creationist biologists understood natural selection was real. But unlike Darwin, they comprehended it was a culling force, not a creative one, and that it didn’t explain the arrival of the fittest.

Creationists don’t deny real science; they founded most types of science. Variation and natural selection are part of the biblical creationist model. As a matter of logic, if something is part of two rival models, it can’t be used to support one against the other.

TBC: For full article and footnotes, see: https://creation.com/do-creationists-deny-science#