In Christian colleges
that have developed from Reformed denominations you will often hear the words: Creation, Fall, Redemption. This is the general framework that guides our
studies. God created the earth and it
was good. The physical creation was good
and the societal, psychological, spiritual aspects of life were also good. Then Adam and Eve sinned and the earth was
cursed and filled with brokenness. But
God sent his Son. He died for our sins
and started the whole creation – human beings and all – back toward the good
and the unbroken. He redeemed and is redeeming
his world.
Opportunities to
reflect on creation, fall, and redemption often arise in the field of social
psychology. Social psychology looks at
how an individual affects and is affected by others. The topics in social psychology include
romantic relationships, prejudice, persuasion, conflict, and conformity. Psychologists have unearthed some well-supported
findings on these topics. One finding is
that men everywhere are more likely than women to be found in socially dominant
roles; things like CEOs, politicians, and religious leaders. Women, on the other hand, are overly-represented
in more help-giving roles; things like nursing, education, and counseling. So is this role distinction an intentional
part of God’s creation? Or does it exist
because of the fall? Or is it part of
God’s ongoing redemptive work? Another well-supported
finding is social facilitation: we do
easier tasks better when we are around other people. You can get a better work-out when you jog
with a friend. You can lick 200
envelopes faster if you’re not alone. So
is social facilitation part of God’s creation?
Part of the fall? Or part of
God’s ongoing redemptive work? It is tempting
to say that because it is universal, well-supported, and scientifically sound
that it must be part of God’s creation.
It’s easy to say that something exists because God made it that way.
I think this
temptation stems from our acquaintance with other sciences. When you learn about the biological processes
of photosynthesis you know that because it is universal, well supported, and scientifically
sound that God probably created it that way.
Yet we must be careful not to fall into a naturalistic fallacy. We mustn’t say; “that which is, is good.” Just because you find something everywhere
does not mean that it is God’s original creational intention. For example, researchers in the biological
sciences have discovered that skin cancer is naturally occurring and can be
found everywhere. Does that mean that
God included cancer in his creation? On
the sixth day, did he survey all he had made, and did his eyes fall on skin
cancer, and did he say, “It is very good”?
Now consider an
example from psychology. One of the most
well-supported findings in social psychology is the self-serving bias. We think highly of ourselves to an
unreasonable degree. When something good
happens it is because we brought it about, when something bad happens it is
because of factors beyond our control.
When we get an “A” it is because we studied hard. When we get an “F” it is because the teacher
is too hard. Psychologists have found
time and time again that most people have a self-serving bias. So is this part of God’s creation? Part of the fall? Or part of God’s ongoing redemptive work? Did God create us to always take credit for
the good and never take responsibility for the bad?
Our world is so
entirely affected by the fall that it can sometimes be difficult to pull apart
what exists because it was part of God’s plan for the world, what exists
because of the fall, and what exists because of God’s grace to us after the fall. Understanding Gods good and perfect will for
our world is no easier than understanding God’s will for our own personal
lives. We must be careful and prayerful
when we consider these things. We must
not assume that because we have discovered a scientific fact or law that it is
thereby God’s law. It could be the law
of sin working in our own members.
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