Is it possible for science and religion to go hand in hand? Can theology play a part in technological advancements? What do gnosticism, new age theology, and quantum physics have in common, if anything? Is Christianity and the Bible compatible with these ideas? What do you think? Leave a comment below!
From my book Quantum Creation: Does the Supernatural Lurk int he Fourth Dimension?
I have always been fascinated by various areas of science and Christianity. I remember, as a child brought up in a Christian home, I had an extreme hunger for discovery that would sometimes get me in trouble. When I was around ten years old, I received a chemistry set as a gift. That evening, unbeknownst to my mother, I opened the chemistry set, discarded the instructions, and decided to go at it on my own. Within ten minutes of mixing random chemicals, my mother and I were experiencing intense headaches from the fumes. Our house smelled of sulfur for days after. Needless to say, my mother was not amused.
Later on in life, I became more interested in the idea of science in the Bible. I remember learning about Matthew Fontaine Maury: an oceanographer who first discovered underwater currents by taking the Psalms of the Bible literally. This was one of the first examples I had ever heard concerning someone using the Bible to initiate a scientific discovery.
It wasn’t soon after that I began hearing Christian apologists and evangelicals using science to back up the claims of the Bible. I would hear this in terms of refuting evolution and trying to determine the age of the earth. Once I learned of some of the strange claims made within the science of quantum physics, I began to wonder if the Bible contained any additional information.
That is what led me to write this book. The main idea with all of this is that science and religion do not have to be mutually exclusive. Einstein himself wrote “science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.” True science and true religion should be able to go hand in hand without conflict.
The problem is not that science doesn’t agree with religion. The problem is certain interpretations of science don’t always agree with certain interpretations of religion. At times, a scientific observation will be made and the scientist making the observation will provide the interpretation. While the actual observation reflects truth, the interpretation of the observation may not. A good example of this is Charles Darwin and his observation of life on the Galapagos Islands. While he may have accurately described what he was seeing, his interpretations did not contain the same level of truth.
This happens within religion as well. We can look at this from an honest and personal perspective. How many times have you or I thought we knew something about the Bible only to study further and discover we were wrong? Any honest person who is actively involved in objective Bible study will admit this can happen quite often. Nobody has perfect theology. While we know the Bible contains 100% truth, our interpretations of the Bible are not always as accurate. If they were, we would all agree on everything, there would be no separate denominations, and we wouldn’t argue over things such as the timing of the rapture.
Throughout my life I have looked into a wide variety of sciences, but quantum physics was always the one that fascinated me most. What I hope to show in this book is, while many interpretations of quantum physics can be unbiblical and even a bit “New-Agey”, we don’t need to throw the entire study out. We can make the same observations and come to different conclusions that line up with the Bible. For example, just because certain physicists will state that quantum physics supports the idea of an impersonal and unconscious god or “force”, that does not mean you must accept that interpretation if you choose to believe in the science of quantum physics.
The fact is, something strange is happening on a quantum level. Many individuals go to ideas of multiple universes, faster than light travel, or even extraterrestrial involvement to explain some of these things. We must keep in mind that many (not all, and possibly not even most) physicists are trying to explain these things outside of a biblical worldview without God. For example, while certain physicists and cosmologists will struggle with the idea of what caused the Big Bang, all we Christians have to do is open the Bible to the book of Genesis. This in no way should make us feel that we are better or smarter than these physicists, lest we fall into pride. Rather, it should make us realize that we are all searching for answers. Concerning things like this, we are looking at the same problem from different angles. We, as Christians, just have the extra help from the Creator of all to put things in perspective.
Throughout this book, I will take you on the same journey I embarked on in reconciling quantum physics with the Bible. This is by no means an exhaustive study, but my hope is this will provoke further study on your own. We will cover a variety of topics having to do with the science and theology of quantum physics.
We will start by describing one of the biggest problems of scientific interpretation and how it relates to Gnosticism. Then we will define the fourth spatial dimension and compare it with the dimension of time. We will see how ideas of the fourth spatial dimension helped shape science and culture over the past hundred years. We will also look at the UFO phenomena and, equipped with what we learned about the fourth spatial dimension, see how it is scientifically far more likely and logical that these craft and their pilots are coming from a place outside of our dimension rather than merely outside of our planet.
We will then look at the basic theories concerning higher dimensions above the fourth. Next, we will take a brief look into particle physics and show what composes our reality. We will then look at things like string theory, M-theory, and branes to determine if we can find any biblical basis for these fascinating ideas. After that, we are going to discover the great mysteries surrounding time and entropy. We will even talk with a physicist who may have unlocked the secret to time travel.
After all of this, we will look at the Creator Himself and some of His more obscure attributes. We will see how these attributes are embedded in the nature of quantum mechanics. Lastly, we will see how all of this applies to us as individuals and how we were created with the potential for some of the same obscure attributes as the Creator.
I must state upfront that I am not a physicist nor a scientist of any kind. I am simply a Bible-believing Christian who has a deep appreciation for God’s creation and the study of quantum physics. I have written things in this book as easy to understand as possible and have chosen to leave things out that I do not understand or am unable to adequately describe. I would also like to state that one of the most exciting things I learned in researching for this book is that these ideas are not impossible for the layman to understand. I consider myself very much a layman and was fascinated to discover there is nothing to be afraid of concerning being “sufficiently intellectual” or “smart enough” to appreciate the field of quantum physics.
It is my sincere hope that this book becomes as much a blessing for you to read as it was for me to write. I pray this will help expand your horizons as well as gain a wider appreciation for the majesty of our God and His creation. Above all else, I pray this will help you develop a closer relationship with God or, if you do not know Him, help you to be able to start one.
Teachings from Higher Dimensions
But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 Peter 2:1 (KJV)
Why Science is often an Enemy of Theology
Quantum physics is sometimes used as support for some rather strange theological teachings. In reality, these teachings stem from an interpretation of science and not the science itself. We can see this by looking at how the theology is far older than the science of quantum physics. If the theology predates the science, then clearly the science is not needed for the theology to exist. In short, the science of quantum physics is not at fault for the anti-biblical teachings sometimes attached to it. Rather, it is the fault of the scientific interpreter.
As we will describe in more detail later, this book is written with the understanding that the spiritual world described in the Bible and the dimensions of space above our own are essentially the same thing. What we will primarily deal with is not necessarily Heaven, at least not in the sense of what we typical recognize as the Kingdom of God. Rather, we will be mostly dealing with the part of spiritual creation that coincides with, and sometimes bleeds into, our own.
We are dealing with a reality that, according to the Bible, demons and fallen angels inhabit. Sometimes it is necessary for God to send one of His holy angels through this realm in order to deliver a message to a mortal man. However, such as is described in the book of Daniel, they are sometimes met with restraint from the denizens of this strange realm. As Christians, we may call this place “the second heaven”, “beyond the veil”, or quite simply the spiritual world. Most new-agers might call it the “astral plane.”
Concerning this place, there is a duality and dichotomy of views between Christianity and New Age theology. Both believe in its existence; however, Christianity recognizes it as a place we are forbidden to travel whereas New Age theology celebrates traversing to higher dimensions. What we have are two separate teachings about a single spiritual environment. How do we know which teaching is true?
For us Christians, the answer is simple: consult the Bible. However, that answer isn’t always easy for everyone. Some people, Christians and non-Christians alike, have trouble with relying on only one book, or rather one collection of sixty-six books, to define their entire belief system. Many times, they will feel the Bible is not sufficient to answer all of their questions. I myself used to have this same outlook which is what led me into the dangerous world of New Age theology, perhaps more accurately known as Gnosticism. Most people normally would not equate New Age with Gnosticism, let alone say they are the same thing, but when examined, the similarities are striking.
The Basics of Gnosticism
The way the spiritual world works is described quite differently in Gnosticism when compared against the Bible. Even the idea of an ultimate creator is skewed. The best place to begin with this is the story of creation itself.
In Gnosticism, the ultimate creator is more of a force than a personal being. This force is sometimes called “the true god” or “the light.” Gnostics view this force as impersonal yet able to create personal gods, known as “aeons”. The original impersonal force is neither male nor female, but it brings forth male and female aeons. These aeons exist in the middle realm of a three-tiered creation. Gnosticism teaches that our physical realm is the bottom tier; the top tier is where the impersonal creator force is, and the created aeons exist in the middle tier.
Gnosticism teaches that ages ago, these male and female aeons procreated and, in a sense, produced other aeons. Gnosticism also teaches that when all these aeons are together under the true light, everything is in harmony. This is called “the fullness”. It conveys the idea that the aeons are the expression of the true light; together they are the sum of the fullness of the true light.
One of these aeons is called the “logos” or “son”. For us Christians, that should immediately ring a bell. In the Bible, the logos is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. However, in Gnosticism, the idea is not the same. Gnosticism teaches that the logos is the highest in the hierarchy of the aeons, and yet it is still below the true light. It was the first thing produced by the true light. It is sometimes referred to as “form of the formless”, “body of the bodiless”, and “face of the invisible” among other things.
The lowest aeon in the hierarchy is known as “Sophia.” Gnostic literature states that Sophia was so low in the hierarchy that she was actually close enough to the physical world to be able to interact with it. It is taught that Sophia rebelled against the rules of the other aeons by committing the sin of creating a being without her male aeon counterpart. Consider this passage from Gnostic literature:
“A thing came out of her which was imperfect and different from her appearance, because she had created it without her consort.”
Also consider some of the claims this “thing” makes and the interpretations the Gnostic text provides:
“For he said, 'I am God and there is no other God beside me,' for he is ignorant of his strength, the place from which he had come.”
“And when he saw the creation which surrounds him, and the multitude of the angels around him which had come forth from him, he said to them, 'I am a jealous God, and there is no other God beside me.' But by announcing this he indicated to the angels who attended him that there exists another God. For if there were no other one, of whom would he be jealous?”
This “thing” is known by many names in Gnosticism. It is called the “Demiurge” meaning the “maker.” It is also called “Yaltabaoth” meaning “child, come forth”, “Saklas” meaning “fool”, and “Samael” meaning “blind one”. In Gnostic literature, this being, this “thing”, is actually YHWH, the God of the Bible. Clearly, Gnostic teaching has a very different, disrespectful, and even insulting view of our God.
The reason I bring this up is the fact that, at times, people teaching New Age theology and/or Gnosticism will make it seem like they believe essentially the same thing as the Bible. They will sometimes try and pair the two to make it more palatable for Christians. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Gnostic teaching and anything relating to it are strictly forbidden by the Bible. This, of course, is found in numerous places, but probably the best example is found in the New Testament book of 1 John:
2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
Gnostic teaching clearly denies the Father and the Son. The teaching of Gnosticism, according to the standards set by 1 John, would be considered as opposed to Christ (antichrist). Thus, Gnosticism and Christianity could not be farther apart in theology.
The reason Gnostics consider their version of God, also known as the Demiurge, to be a fool is because he claims he is the only God. To a Gnostic, there are many gods called aeons. Therefore, Gnostics believe they have knowledge that not even the Demiurge himself has. That is why they consider him to be ignorant, blind, and foolish. Gnostics also consider the Demiurge to be quite unreasonable and malicious because he doesn’t want humanity to know the truth about these other gods.
Gnosticism teaches that the Demiurge created angels; however, the angels are called “archons” and never rebelled. In fact, as Gnostic literature states, the archons obediently joined with the Demiurge to create Adam. That is to say, the Demiurge needed the help of the angels to create man. Adam was created to be a slave to the Demiurge and the archons.
Sophia eventually saw what was going on and took pity on mankind. Through this, Sophia realized her mistake and a “spark of the divine” was put into Adam. This is how Gnosticism explains Adam being flesh and spirit instead of a mindless slave. Interestingly enough, according to Gnostic texts, Adam had the spark but Eve did not. Eve is considered as less than Adam. There is no idea of equality between men and women or even “different yet equally important roles” in Gnostic literature like there is in the Bible. Gnosticism makes the clear and incredibly mistaken distinction that a woman is less than a man.
Later on, the aeons (including the Holy Spirit, Christos, and Jesus, which are all different beings in Gnosticism) decided they wanted Sophia back to once again complete the fullness that was lost. Jesus appeared to Sophia as a type of cosmic cross to try and bring her back. Sophia then is reunited with her counterpart, the cosmic Jesus, as he becomes her bridegroom.
Many of these terms probably sound very familiar. These are terms used throughout the Bible, but make no mistake; they are certainly not expressing the same ideas. It is this type of Gnostic teaching that gave birth to New Age ideas such as the cosmic Jesus and Christ consciousness. Unfortunately, many of these strange beliefs and interpretations have made their way into quantum physics. This is the reason that background information into Gnosticism is necessary in a book such as this. It is important to show that proper spiritual and biblical discernment is needed in examining some of the claims and interpretations that modern science postulates. It is also important to recognize that these deceitful interpretations should not be enough for us to throw science out altogether. Using biblical discernment, we can look at these scientific observations and interpret them without having to resort to New Age and Gnostic theology. When we have the proper interpretation of scripture and the proper interpretation of scientific observation, they should both agree in full. They both should act as two pillars holding up the true understanding of reality. If they do not agree, then one or both of the pillars are broken and must be fixed, otherwise the whole structure will come crashing down.
Opposing Views
I stated at the top of this chapter that there are two opposing views on how the spiritual world works; Gnosticism teaches one and the Bible teaches another. Of course, there are more ways to look at the spiritual world but most are an offshoot of one of these two originalities. It is my opinion that if we want to know the truth about the spiritual world, we need to consult the Bible. In my humble opinion, the demonically-inspired beliefs of Gnosticism should play no part in a search for truth. One good example of why I believe in the legitimacy of the Bible over Gnostic texts is the vast amount of fulfilled prophecy in the Bible. I don’t know any other being, whether physical or spiritual, that has ever written a prophetic text with 100% accuracy besides the God of the Bible. This is something Gnostic texts lack.
Interview with Dr. Ken Johnson
Dr. Ken Johnson is the author of Demonic Gospels: The Truth about the Gnostic Gospels, Ancient Church Fathers, Ancient Prophecies Revealed, Ancient Post Flood History, and many others.
One who shares my opinions and someone who I have had the pleasure of getting to know over the course of the past few months is biblical researcher Dr. Ken Johnson. Ken agreed to share his insights with me on multiple occasions: twice on my podcast The Sharpening and also with an interview for this book. Ken has proven to be an excellent resource for information concerning many facets of Bible study.
If you wish to listen to and watch the previous interviews I conducted with Dr. Ken Johnson, you can view my YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/joshpeckdisclosure. The episodes are entitled The Sharpening 009: Dr. Ken Johnson and the Truth about the Gnostic Gospels and The Sharpening 030: Dr. Ken Johnson and Bible Prophecy Revealed. For this book, I contacted Ken to provide his insights into this topic because it is one he, as the author of numerous books concerning ancient texts, is very well familiar with.
JOSH PECK: In what major ways do the Biblical gospels and the Gnostic gospels differ?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: The Biblical gospels teach that we are saved by what Jesus did on the cross; the Gnostic gospels teach we save ourselves by meditation and obtaining a Christ consciousness. There are extra-biblical texts the Bible recommends, like the book of Jasher and the book of Enoch. There are also the writings of the ancient Church fathers we can look at. Those texts may not be 100% accurate, but they still contain good information. However, the Gnostic gospels are never recommended or endorsed by the Bible or any other Christian text.
JOSH PECK: According to Gnostic theology, how does one attain salvation?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: Gnostic teaching states that you are saved by works and through Gnosis, a kind of meditation. You have to come to the realization that there is a piece of God inside of you and learn how to enter into your own godhood, among other things. They also consistently teach that there are seven sacraments you have to go through in order to be saved.
JOSH PECK: What in the Bible leads you to believe Gnostic teaching is a demonic doctrine?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: Paul says if anyone brings another doctrine (about Jesus and the Holy Spirit) than what we have preached to you, let them be accursed. Gnostic teaching conflicts with the Bible so much that the Bible defines it as demonic, meaning being of some other fallen source removed from God. Gnostic writings teach that the God of the Bible is demented because he doesn’t realize he isn’t the only one. It teaches that you are God and if you realize it, you will be saved. It is completely different than what the Bible teaches.
JOSH PECK: Is there a root of Gnosticism in the world's unbiblical religions and beliefs today, and if so, how?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: Most all of the false religions teach some form of magic with meditation in them. The way to pick them out is simple. You have the Bible that gives a plan of salvation and proves itself by fulfilled prophecy in our lifetime. If someone else comes along with absolutely no prophecy and gives a completely different method of salvation, then you know it isn’t real.
JOSH PECK: Do you see Gnostic beliefs presenting themselves in other places we might not normally expect, such as in modern science, and if so, how?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: Yes. For example, universities all over the country teach evolution. We also have things like yoga classes all over (including the YMCA).
JOSH PECK: If a person believes Gnostic teaching to be true, what types of things can we say to steer them toward the right path?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: We should be able to explain to them that the Bible contains accurate prophecy fulfilled in our lifetime which proves it to be of supernatural origin. For example, there have been over fifty very specific prophecies that have been fulfilled since 1948, which was when Israel became a nation. Then we should know how to explain exactly how we came to be here by showing evolution is false and the creation story in the Bible is true. Lastly, we need to be able to explain what is needed for true salvation in the way the Bible describes it.
JOSH PECK: If people want to know more about you, your work, or order your books, where can they go?
DR. KEN JOHNSON: They can go my website, Biblefacts.org, for any information on me, my work, and ministry. They can find my books on my website and also on Amazon.com.
A very special thanks goes out to Dr. Ken Johnson for providing his expertise in this interview.
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Josh Peck
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