This post is to help non-believers understand why some Christians reject empirical evidence.

Most Christians accept the evidence for evolution, genomes, cosmology, germs, and the big bang, etc. Most Christians divorce their faith from the physical universe. Most Christians are not like Ken Ham. Indeed, even the most evangelical of my family members would bring up Darwinian theory before the bible when asked about how humans came to inhabit the earth. This is a good thing. It’s science that promotes progress, and Christians reading this should not feel like I’m attacking them personally, especially if they stand on the side of science when it comes to the physical universe. Besides, your faith is spiritual, not physical.

But that does not mean that Christianity itself is the cause of Christians accepting the scientific theory and the evidence it produces. Quite the contrary; Christianity is built on a foundation that explicitly calls the scientific method and the evidence it produces to be the literal workings of a devil trying to deceive us. Let’s look at the gospels, shall we?

First, let’s examine 2 Corinthians 4:4.

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

I must point out that “god of this world” or “god of this age” (god with a little g) is satan. He is of this world, or of this age, because he exists in the physical world. God, and indeed you, exists in the spiritual world. The devil, in 2 Corinthians, deceives humans with physical nature because he is not a part of the spiritual world. He uses things like empirical evidence to confuse humans and lead them astray from Christ.

Next, we’ll look at 1 Timothy 4:1:

“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”

Note how this verse says that the “Spirit speaketh expressly.” The Spirit is obviously the Holy Spirit, and it speaks in a clear and concise manner, so that you’d have to be an idiot to not understand it. And the spirit says that the “doctrines of the devils” (read: physical and empirical evidence) cause humans to “depart from the faith” through seduction.

In other words, science, and anything else not taught by god, is taught by the devil. These teachings, if adopted by a person, lead him or her away from Christ.

This is reinforced in Romans 1:21:

“Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

This verse is very damning towards scientists, even Christians who believe in science. It says that god has given his entire message in the bible, and if you don’t believe in the bible then you’re an idiot. It also implies that scientists claim to be wise, but they are actually foolish for not giving god his due credit.

So what does this all mean? What does this have to do with Christians, both those who accept science and those, like Ken Ham, who reject it?

Well, we will now turn to Ephesians 6:10-17:

^“10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”

The bible here explains why fundamentalist Christians reject the teachings of things like the big bang and evolution. It says that Christians must defend against the devil’s schemes. Science itself is not of the devil, but it is used as a tool to intrude upon the spiritual being of the Christian. In order to defend against satan, take your “shield of faith” and “helmet of salvation” and resist empirical evidence. Indeed, verse 17 says to protect your thoughts even when presented with empirical evidence.

According to Bobby Allison (The Preaching Atheist), from whom I adopted many of the concepts for this article, these concepts are widely known and accepted by the fundamentalist Christian wing, where he spent 30 years of his life. And it is preached to their followers to prove that the evidence for a 4 billion-year-old earth and evolution are from the devil and must be rejected and resisted. To accept them is to fall into the devil’s trap.

So why do most Christians accept the scientific method and the evidence it produces? Is it because the devil has deceived them and blinded them to the workings of god? No. It’s because most Christians are actually rational people. It’s difficult sometimes to believe that because it’s the fundamentalists who scream loudest. Unfortunately, by screaming the loudest it’s the fundamentalists who slow down human progress.