[Why our area has its unique political and religious attitudes.]

The question was recently asked, does God violate Laws of Physics when performing miracles? This is one of those fundamental questions that will influence your science, theology, and lifestyle. The answer reflects your worldview.

With advanced degrees in both engineering and theology, and as a university professor in both worlds, it was a question I had to resolve. We all have different backgrounds, education, and experience. You will likely approach the question from a different direction.

First, few try to understand science. By definition, science can never be settled. The scientific method describes seven steps shown in the diagram. Defining the problem, collecting data, analyzing the data, developing hypothesis, and testing the hypothesis is an iterative process.

The Laws of Science or physics are Laws of Nature. In philosophical context, this is called Natural Law. Our country’s founding was on Natural Law. Strangely, some in politics think that building a culture on nature, science, and rational thinking is a bad thing.

Where did the Natural Law or laws of physics originate? Follow the NASA analysis of “the beginning” of the universe through seven discrete events. (1) Matter begins instantaneously. (2) Time begins concurrently. (3) Space expands from nothing. (4) Natural Laws of light are invoked to define the energy interplay.  (5) Plant life is instilled. (6) Instinct, emotions, or life-giving soul is instilled in animals. (7) Rational intellect is instilled in humans. That is the science side.

The theological side comes from Jewish history 3500-years ago, well before scientific thought was defined by the devout Sir Francis Bacon.  Simply correlate the first chapter of the Tanakh to see an absolute overlay and a one-to-one correspondence with the NASA track. How did the religious book record the precise sequence of events so early in the history of humans?

Those of a religious persuasion dismiss such discussions with a flippant attribution to “God.: Those of a science persuasion have a difficulty, because that is not a concept which easily fits physical observation. In an attempt to have a common basis, we will use the term, “What existed before time.”

If “What existed before time” is defined as God by the religious, OK. In that scenario, then Natural Law would be the Laws of God. It really is that simple. But affirming that Natural Law are Laws of God creates a dichotomy.

Religious teaching is that “What existed before time” caused everything to come into existence. NASA, and most scientists, agree. The process defines observable natural laws.

The religious teaching avers “God” is unchanging and cannot lie. The scientists agree that Laws of Nature are immutable, as we understand them. If they could change, they would no longer be laws and we could not depend on them or forecast the results of any action. Both schools of thought agree so far.

The problem comes when the religious discussion does not understand an event and either calls it a ceremonial event or a miracle. That is not an option in the scientific method.

Any event will influence our perception based on our time, place, and circumstance, perhaps making it a miracle to us.

We have participated in an archaeological dig in Jordan, at Tall El Hammam, wearing both hats. When the research team published their work in numerous scientific journals, they identified the location as the ancient region of Sodom and described the research evidence of an air-burst that caused the destruction of the ancient city. Well, that should have been and is regarded as a major scientific investigation.

A fringe area of scientists argued that the use of the historical evidence from the Jewish Tanakh should not enter scientific investigations. Why? That component is just one step of “Collecting Data.”

Similarly, a fringe area of religious writers challenged the science as trying to change a miracle of God? Why? If their “God” is the Creator they claim, “What existed before time” would obviously use the Laws of Nature which it brought into being.

Now that forces an analysis of all things called miracles. Do miracles exist? Science as well as theology will concede there are things we do not understand. Some of the religious persuasion, as well as ancient religious writings, call those miracles. If that is the definition, we can all agree and go about our lifestyle.

The problem occurs when miracle is equal to magic. That premise is their “God” can do anything. But their teaching of “truth” would make it impossible to violate the very laws put in place. If that perversion of laws can happen, then they are no longer absolute laws, no one can trust the laws, and neither science nor religion has a basis to exist.

This is the perceived historical conflict between religion and science. The conflict does not exist. What exists is a narrow interpretation of incomplete information. Traditionally, neither science nor religion has tried to understand the other perspective. The lack of understanding is in the nuances.

What does this have to do with the history of Oklahoma? It is the same archaeology and scientific methods that reveal the history of the archaic Indians and the early mound builders, who lived here at the same time as Sodom.

Think about, religion believes based on tradition. Science believes based on analysis. Both belief systems depend on absolute Natural Law, just coming from a different direction, with lessons learned.