Sunday Superposition #26

Science is for the glory of God—and for us; university student IQs

Sunday Superposition is a premium perk for paid subscribers, an end-of-the-month collection of spiritual themes and links to stuff I find interesting.

Science is for God’s glory—and ours

It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. —Proverbs 25:2

I’m often asked by atheists why God doesn’t make everything we want to know about Him and the world more obvious. I can think of numerous reasons, all inspired by that verse from Proverbs:

1. We value knowledge that’s hard-won far more than knowledge that’s just given to us.

2. Having to work to obtain knowledge gives us a sense of purpose.

3. Discovering something is more fun than just being told about it.

4. It’s another avenue for worshipping God and increasing our love for Him.

The first three are relatable for most people, including those who don’t believe in God. Those reasons certainly speak to my experience as a scientist studying the material universe, especially #3. Nothing—and I mean nothing—beats the “Oh wow, so that’s why that happens!” moments in the career of a scientist. But as a believing scientist, reason #4 is the most significant.