Science and Religion

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." - Arthur C. Clarke.

Arthur C. Clarke was right on the money here, and I think it aptly applies to religion. I believe that God is a supreme being, but I don't believe he has magical powers. He has scientific knowledge and power far greater than ours, but he doesn't break the laws of the Universe, he created these laws and he works within them. The red sea didn't magically part, there was a scientific reason for it parting. Elijah couldn't perform feats of magic, they were feats of science. God works with his creation, not in spite of it.

Let's take a concrete example. Adam and Eve were not designed to live forever. They were designed to grow old and die just like all of God's other creations. However, God blessed them by allowing them to eat from the Tree of Life. This tree, we are told, produced fruit that would allow them to live forever. This doesn't sound like magic to me. Instead this sounds like highly advanced medicine. Perhaps the fruit had powerful medicines that healed them? Perhaps it had nanobots that repaired their cells? I have no clue, but I firmly believe that it was scientific in nature. Furthermore, this could explain the long, but declining, ages of the pre-flood individuals. The medicines of the tree of life infiltrated the ground water or perhaps was passed on by Adam and Eve in an airborne way. Regardless, being separated from direct contact with these medicines caused a decline in general health due to disease, pestilence, etc..., just as God commanded. Eventually, traces of this medicine were obliterated from the Earth and we are left with short life spans and the desire to recreate this Fountain of Youth.

God's miracles are fantastic feats of science, not magic, but that doesn't diminish our need to worship Him. God created the Universe we live in, he created us. For that, he deserves our praise and admiration. He is our parent and we are formed in his likeness. In fact, if he hadn't cut short our lifespans, we would have quickly become his equal. Regardless, we are the creation, not the creator, and we should love and respect Him for giving us the chance to experience the Universe he molded.