Category: Bible vs Scientism

The three sons of the Biblical prophet Noah were Shem, Ham, and Yefet. Biblical tradition teaches that mankind has descended from those three sons and their wives.

The Torah teaches that Yefet, who was the ancestor of the Greeks, will dwell in the tent of Shem, who was the ancestor of the Jews. Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch understands the meaning of the name Yefet in psychological terms – Yefet is the ancestor of the Greeks whose minds were expanded in philosophy and science.

We see that the ancient rabbinic sages accepted some ideas from the Greek philosophers, or perhaps the Greeks learned those ideas from the rabbis. There was some overlap between rabbinic thought and Greek thought, and also some definite conflicts – Maimonides in the book Guide to the Perplexed repeatedly attacks the claims of the Greek philosophers that the Universe is eternal.

Nachmanides in his commentary on Genesis referred to the initial point of matter that the Universe began with as hiyuli, IE formless matter known to the Greeks as hyle.

Rabbi Bachya in the medieval book “Duties of the Heart” mentions Aristotle’s ideas in a number of places.

Some ideas from Greek or medieval metaphysics that the rabbis accepted are still useful ideas in the modern age. The concept of matter and form seemed to have been widely accepted by the rabbis, and this concept has been revived in a mathematical form in 20th century Quantum Mechanics.

“I quoted also the pious and wise of other nations whose words have come down to us, hoping that my readers’ hearts would incline to them and give heed to their wisdom, as for example, the words of philosophers, the ethical teachings of the ascetics, and their praiseworthy customs. Our Rabbis have already said regarding this (Sanhedrin 39b): One verse says: ‘after the ways of the surrounding nations you have done’ (Ezekiel 5:7). How can this be reconciled? As follows – their good ways you have not copied; their evil ones you have followed.” (Introduction to Duties of the Heart)

The claims of the atheist science establishment that somehow the Universe created itself, are fundamentally in conflict with honest science. There is a necessary demarcation between Biblical theology and science that Biblical monotheists must recognize.

Aristotle’s erroneous speculations about an eternal Universe might be classified “scientism”, a type of faith based non-scientific religion. Ancient rabbis rejected the erroneous “scientific” speculations of Aristotle that had no real basis in any observations, such as the very erroneous claim that our Universe is a static Universe that existed eternally. We now know from many reliable scientific observations that this Universe could not have existed eternally.

Hundreds of years ago some of the greatest rabbis wrote descriptions of the creation process that seem to be generally quite consistent with some of the details described by the modern Bing Bang Theory.

The important point to remember is the Bible is not intended as a scientific treatise, it was intended as an ethical guide for man. However, the basic facts the Bible describes are quite consistent with advanced modern science.

For example –

1. Universe had a beginning (was created according to the rabbis) in the finite past.
2. All matter was created ex-nihilo at the beginning of the Universe, and was formed into the components of the Universe.
3. The days mentioned in Genesis do not correspond to our days as earth’s sun was not created until the fourth day. The Bible states explicitly that the “days” were the separation of light and darkness by God, (not the revolution of the Earth).
4. There have been multiple creations and destruction of life on Earth during multiple eras of time. The Bible is only describing in detail the present era.
5. Scientific laws, as we now understand them, did not exist during the initial Creation process, but only after the Creation process was completed.
6. The Creation process cannot be explained in scientific terms that are intelligible to man. Scientific laws we now know did not exist during that process.
7. There occurred a metaphysical increase in complexity in life on Earth, starting with the earliest animals (marine invertebrate) until the creation of man, the most complex living creature.

The Creation process is non-repeatable and non-observable by man. There must be a necessary demarcation between science and Biblical theology which do not conflict with each other.

Science must recognize its limits and recognize that Biblical theology is not in conflict with authentic science. Rather Biblical theology picks up where science must end.