It may be an impossible question because the relationship of God to science encounters some of the same concerns that make the separation of church and state such a valuable part of life in our country. It is just as important that scientific principles are independent of spiritual considerations. But it is reasonable for legitimate governmental processes to apply and enforce moral/ethical principles when science impinges on human welfare.
Scientists, who accept God as the Creator of the world responsible for the physical/chemical principles of matter endowed with forces that interacted to produce the universe with the world as we know it, have no basis for finding the principles of science to be different from those denying God's existence.
Some who believe in God depart from evidence based science to rely on literal interpretation of biblical stories. "Creation Science" is flawed by such a departure from valid science. They are like the "flat earth" scientists of a few generation before them, skewing science to fit scripture.
CAUSALITY
A proper understanding of causality is important in science. Advances in science are often tied closely to finding causes. Projecting back in time to earlier and earlier causes, it seems like the "Big Bang" creation of the world has no understandable preceding cause for those not believing in God as the Creator. Even a repeated sequence of big bangs does not satisfy our reason as well as does an infinite spiritual being, infinite in goodness, power, knowledge, love, and not bound by time or any other constraints as the same Creator's will provides the good things of creation.
GOOD AND EVIL
It seems to me that good and evil did not exist in the material world until humans came along by the evolutionary process God directed in the original instructions for creation. The celestial fireworks of heavenly bodies cooled somewhat as planets formed and the evolutionary process produced beings capable of sensing awe of the wonders of the world. When the social structure and relationships reached a stage planned and pleasing to God a touch of spiritual life gave us the ability to understand values including good and evil.
I don't presume to speak for God. God has left a message to us via a series of prophets and ultimately His Son. The books of the New Testament are the clearest record of his message. It seems that the touch of the Spirit of God reaches even those without knowledge of scripture. The touch of God is sometimes visible in the material world as miracles that are unrecognizable by those not believing in God.
Each miracle is a unique event and as such is not accessible to a scientist to meet the criterion of repeatability needed for scientific proof. The unbelieving scientist "knows" some of the data is missing or flawed. Not all of them can expect to be given a dramatic awakening such as the way St. Paul had a personal introduction to Jesus Christ.
GOD AND SCIENCE
God and Science will occupy two irreconcilable aspects of our knowledge until we personally accept God. The acceptance may come gradually, intermittently, or instantly. I will probably make my next post one that may help bring that acceptance for some.
Joe Engemann Kalamazoo, Michigan April 7, 2017
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