The idol of Naturalism or Scientism

Epistle- 1 John 1:1-4

Gospel- John 1:1-18

Is homosexuality genetically determined? Asked another way, do homosexuals inherit a sexual attraction toward the same gender? The majority of scientific laymen would say, "yes" believing that homosexuality is a part of who a person really is from the moment of conception. The public has been taught this ever since July of 1993 when the prestigious research journal Science published a study by Dan Hamer which claimed there might be a gene for homosexuality. The news soon splashed over mainline media sources headlining that a "Gay Gene" had been found. Because there were so many variables within the study and the study group was limited even by common research standards, the study could not be duplicated making the finding dubious at best. Since 1993 Hamer’s study has be disregarded among scientist. From the same magazine Science came this statement in 1994

Despite opposing views the damage had been done. Because Western Culture is more apt to read headlines than articles and because opposing studies were stories buried by the media, many still believe that homosexuality is genetically determined. Such thinking is now a part of a modern worldview.

Even in the face of other scientific studies the belief that homosexuality is genetic dominates the Western mindset. Two genetic researchers, one heads the largest genetic department in the country and the other from Harvard have jointly stated the following.

Despite what it might appear like, this sermon is not about whether homosexuality is genetically determined. The reference to homosexuality is an example used to expose the idol of Scientism. Scientism is an idol of an idea that stems from Naturalism. Naturalism states that nature is the only reality we can know for sure because it can be tested by our senses. Scientism believes that because nature is the only truth we can know the only way we can know truth is by studying data that nature gives us. Scientism is bowed down to when a scientific study shows a possible connection between something such as homosexual behavior and genetic makeup. Those who bow to Scientism accept such a conclusion and adjust their logic and ethical thinking according to what the study says it proves.

Christians may scoff at those who bow to Scientism but we in turn must be careful. After I told you about Dr. Haman’s study I also told you of statements by Science magazine and two leading scientists in the field of genetics who argued in opposition. To believe that homosexuality is not genetically determined because that is what other scientists say is actually bowing down to the same Scientism idol as those who accepted the findings Dr. Haman’s study. We cannot, in good faith, reject conclusions resulting from scientific research because other scientific research shows something different. If we do we are bowing to the same idol as those we are attempting to refute. If we bow the base for argumentation would then be conceded by us to them because both groups trust in scientific research to reveal truth.

For the Christian, truth is understood in terms of revelation rather than scientific study. Theologians have rightly divided up the subject of revelation into two categories although admitting that there is overlap. The first category is called General Revelation. General Revelation is derived from evidence that we all can see. It is contained in the birds of the air and the vastness of the sea. It is seen in the stars above and the mountains that we can climb. It is evidenced in the necessary distance the earth is from the sun. Any closer and the earth would be too hot for human life. Any farther away it would be too cold. It is evidenced in the axis of the earth tilted so that the majority of the earth receives necessary seasons. It is evidenced in the rotation of the earth, its gravitational pull and its revolutions around the sun. All of these are perfectly planned so that life as we know it can exist and explains why life on other planets in our solar system cannot. General Revelation recognizes that the world and the universe are perfectly orchestrated or perfectly planned and whenever there is something perfectly planned there has to be a perfect planner. A law of physics tells us that for something to be in motion it has to be put in motion. We are referring, of course to evidence that there is a Prime Mover. God has set all of these things in place. He is the Perfect planner and he is the Prime Mover.

The Bible describes General Revelation in passages such as Psalm 19:1 "The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." And in Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."

Those who bow to the idol of scientism reject the observation that our world and universe reveal a creator. Their first line of attack against our belief in a creator is scientific estimates that place the age of the earth at 4.5 billion years. They come to this conclusion by two primary means. The first is sediment dating. By archeological digs scientists observe layers of sediment that they believe must have developed over thousands and then millions of years. Sediment dating is similar to how we would date a tree. When we cut one down we can count the rings to see how many years old it is. In a similar way archeologists and geologists uncover sediments and perform carbon dating upon them to determine how old particular sediments are. If one is six thousand years old then they conclude that sediments farther below have to be much older. What scientists fail to acknowledge is the likelihood that at creation God did not make the heavens and the earth as infants but made them age relative. For example, when God made Adam he did not make Adam an infant. He created Adam as a grown man. When God made the trees in the garden he did not make them as saplings but full grown, fruit bearing trees. When plants and animals and humans were placed on this earth they were created at an age relative to multiplying and bearing fruit. It is thus the same with the Earth’s crust. It was created to be an age relative to withstand the time of men.

Those bowing to scientism do not want to come to such conclusions. Instead they dream up multiple scenarios that attempt to explain the created wonders of this world and the universe that surrounds it. It takes great faith for these men to believe their own speculations. It takes a stubborn faith. It takes a faith that is unwilling to accept what is obvious to those who believe.

Beside General Revelation is Special Revelation. Special Revelation is different from General Revelation because it is specific as to what truth is revealed and to whom that same truth is revealed. When St. John declares that in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God, he is describing revelation that is special and specific. St. John continues by declaring that the Word he is referring to is the man they beheld walking this earth, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus, John declares, was not only man but also creator of all that exists. In a fascinating twist on words John uses the Greek term logos which we translate to be "word", to describe Jesus. The Greek term logos can also be translated "wisdom" or "reason". Because John personalizes the term he is making logos transcend its previous meanings. The term logos refers to God speaking forth words and bringing the world into existence. It refers to the living word or Holy Scripture that comes by the spoken words of Jesus, the prophets and the apostles. It refers to God’s self-disclosure as he reveals himself through the life of the Son. For John to be this insightful he needed to have Special Revelation.

You will remember when Jesus gathered his disciples around him after they had come back from being sent out, he asked them a specific question, "Who do men say that I am?" They answered that some men say he is Elijah. Some say John the Baptist come back from the dead. Others say a prophet. Then Jesus asked them the all important question, "Who do you say I am?" It was Peter who answered, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God." Jesus then says to Peter that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him but the Spirit of God. For the sake of the terms in this sermon we can say that General Revelation did not reveal this to Peter but Special Revelation.

As much as General Revelation reveals regarding the existence of a creator it is not from creation itself that salvation can be found or the message of salvation. Because all men are born into the race of Adam, a sinful race, all men are blinded by sin. We cannot see the good news of Jesus Christ on our own. Even when we are told the gospel we cannot understand it to the result that it would save us unless the Spirit of God intervenes. The Spirit of God must awaken us from our sinful slumber. The Spirit of God must break hearts of stone. The Spirit of God must pull away the scales that blind our eyes. We are utterly dependent on God specially revealing the truth of Jesus to us personally. We cannot be saved without such revelation.

Scientism is a product of the Enlightenment. Men of the Age of Enlightenment believed mankind could save himself. The idol of Scientism convinces men that by the means of scientific discovery all diseases can be healed and all natural disasters can be controlled. If science cannot keep a man live forever it can do the next best thing and clone him. If science cannot prevent an earthquake it can warn us of one coming so that we can be out of harms way. What scientism tries to do is prevent the physical death of man. What it cannot do is overcome man’s spiritual death.

Applying this to us personally we must address our own spiritual condition and that of our neighbor. We put a lot of trust in science and those who practice science. We trust our doctors perhaps more than we trust anyone. As soon as we have a problem, whether it be emotional or physical we go to the doctor looking for a cure. To do so is not bad or wrong for doctors and modern science are a means of grace to us. They should not, however, replace the ultimate healer of men, Jesus the Savior. He is the creator of our bodies and our souls. He knows what is ailing us even before we notice a symptom. Therefore we should go to him first and primarily in prayer and by his written Word to receive the healing we need before we go to any man.

We also must tell our neighbor about Jesus Christ. As we have seen, General Revelation is enough to know that God exists. Special Revelation is needed to know that Jesus is God. Our neighbors will not know that Jesus is God unless someone tells them. Our neighbors may not believe what we say and it is up to the Spirit to reveal the truth to their hearts, but that is not our responsibility. We are responsible to tell.

Although the idol of scientism has a foothold in Western Culture, it is not to be feared. Christians need not avoid scientific discovery but actually appreciate it for what it does. Scientific discoveries reveal deeper truths about God’s creation. We need not fear what it is going to discover. What we should never do is ignorantly accept conclusions of science without allowing God to have a say.

What should we do, as Bible believing Christians, if a "Gay Gene" was truly discovered and the discovery was agreed upon by all the scientific community? We should do what we should be doing now which is to weigh the conclusion with the Scriptures. If a gene is found to cause human behavior, such a gene will never excuse the behavior if the behavior is immoral. Those who live by scientism will perish by the scientism for if we can locate a gene that causes homosexuality we can also locate a gene that causes prejudice. If we cannot fault a homosexual for being gay because it is within his genetic makeup then we cannot fault a person who is prejudice against homosexuals because that too is in his genetic makeup. Soon we lose any sense of morality and blame all behaviors on our Genetic makeup.

Instead of bowing to scientism the people of God should lead in the opposite direction and measure all conclusions by the standard of God’s Special Revelation, His only Son our Lord, Jesus the Christ.