Can you study geology and still be a devoted Christian?

Question

I know this is a stupid question. But I have signed up to take geology as my core science class. Again like I said I know this is a stupid question but the evolution thing is what kinda gets me. I was also wondering what else you learn about in Geology? and what are some of the geology labs like?

Answer 1

What you learn about depends on what level you're studying at. The majority of geology concentrates on things other than evolution such as landform process, plate tectonics (including volcanism and seismics), and petrology (rock formation). there are also significant components of mineralogy, crystallography (symmetry and indexing) and optical mineralogy. The labs for me at the moment consist of anything from analysing samples under a microscope to large scale mapping projects all of which are interesting if you go into them with the right attitude.

As for the first part, it probably depends how devoted you are. Belief in evolution is not a requisite, it will help however if you go into your classes with an open mind and are prepared to be convinced either way. If it is devotion to the point of believing the earth is not particularly old then some of the concepts will be difficult to absorb as understanding rather than simply facts to be regurgitated. So yes you can study geology and be a devoted Christian but I would imagine your enjoyment of the subject will be affected by how much of the bible you believe to be absolute and how much is a metaphor.

I won't pretend to truly understand you position as I am not a Christian. I hope you find this answer helpful though.

Answer 2

You cannot be a true scientist unless you free your mind of ridiculous religious dogma.  The evolution part only covers paleontology.  Just remember that God wrote the laws of what we see as scientists, but did not fax a copy of the bible down from heaven central.  Keep an open mind

Answer 3

Yes, you can.  I believe that evolution is real.  As far as Christianity is concerned, I think Genesis tells what God did and evolution tells how he did it.  The people in ancient times who wrote all this down would not have understood things like evolution.

"2 Peter 3:8–9 reads:

‘But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

Answer 4

I took Geology in college, Ignore the evolution part, just keep in mind what you believe and just memorize the facts to your brain, but keep your faith in your heart. For labs we went to caves, looked at a meteor in a field, went to cemetaries to study weatherization on tombstones. Went to a place that had once been underwater to look for fossilized ocean creatures. We also did in lab studies of rocks, crystals and had to memorize the levels of prehistory timelines as to when dinosaurs were here, etc. It is an awesome class, but most sciences are going to argue with religion. Like I said, keep your science in your brain and your faith in your heart and you will be fine.

Answer 5

<<Can you study geology and still be a devoted Christian?>>

Yes.

<<Again like I said I know this is a stupid question but the evolution thing is what kinda gets me.>>

The available evidence indicates evolution happens.  That evidence resulted (and results) from the handiwork of the manufacturer (or manufacturers) or the world.  If you don't like it, then address any complaints to them.  If you can't somehow reconcile it with your interpretation of some passage of some book or other that you think that manufacturer (or manufacturers) wrote, then don't assume the author (or authors) can't reconcile their handiwork with their literary endeavours.

You're supposed to have faith.  There's nothing saying you have to understand or explain any apparent contradictions.  If geological findings appear to contradict something or other that's written in a book, then perhaps you've misunderstood the book as you're merely human.  Of course, the geological findings could be wrong.  If so, then demonstrate how.

Answer 6

A book that I suggest you read is "Coming to Peace with Science" by Darrel Falk.

This book really encouraged my faith and my ideas of science in so many ways.  I too have wondered about the relationship between science and theology, and the suggestion that Christians need to combine the two is a very big idea.  

Falk states that the position of today’s Christians should not be to ward off scientists whose work may seemingly contradict the "simple-minded" ideas of God and how He speaks to us, or to run away from a world of science and hide away in order to prevent the pollution of their minds with atheistic views. God uses His word to bring us closer to better knowing Christ, and uses science to help reveal His creation, essentially leading us to realize the divinity of it and also bringing us closer to Jesus (Falk 26).  

Alluding to John Calvin, Falk says that we too should put on “faith spectacles” through which we may view creation and scientific data, to see that science does not destroy theology, but has the possibility to support theology and help Christians better understand the more intricate workings of God (Falk 35).

I do not confine God when I study various forms of science, but instead I have decided to have a very open mind.  The more that I learn, the more I realize that God’s hand is in everything, even down to the very complex workings of an animal cell.  The world that we live in today is so factually-based and evidence-oriented, that to desire to run away from a world of knowledge and choose to live uniformed in our traditional ideas would only make us primitive, behind-on-the-times.  

I have never been a believer that chooses to ignore any scientific evidence that may contradict what I have heard to be truth for so many years, and you shouldn't either.

Giving Christians the predisposition that science is not something to trust, is a terrible idea.  It is almost entirely necessary to look at what scientific research has revealed in order to bring about better understanding of God and His creation (Falk 26).  

The issue is no longer which do you choose: evolution or creation?  The real dilemma is to put on your “spectacles of faith."  Embrace the new sciences that you learn and combine theological truth with irrefutable scientific findings in order to better praise God for the glory of His creation, and to use these findings to reach out to a dying world.

Answer 7

Yes, it's perfectly possible to reconcile geology and religion.  The biggest concepts are evolution and geologic time.  If you believe the Bible is literal in its time, then you will have a problem - like 7 days means 7 actual days.  But if you're like most scholars and believe it's a figurative number, then it's no problem.  

The Bible just tells you what God did.  Science explains how He did it.