Being involved in the engineering world I feel compelled to make some comments on this work environment that it is my privilege to be part of. The whole world of development, design and construction consists of numbers. We in the engineering world who work daily with numbers, be it months and days or dollars and cents or scientific symbols and metric units generally spend little time evaluating the whole question of the origin of numbers as part of the greater epistemology (theory of knowledge). To illustrate this I have taken license to develop my own equation of one plus one equals theta. A friend of mine used to use theta as shorthand for Theos in his bible study preparation.
What motivated the development of this equation was the glaring lack of interest among engineers, scientists and others involved in the engineering world as to where numbers come from. Van Til is one of many theologians who have pointed out that numbers, or any other created facts, are not neutral. Behind numbers stand an awesome God who has created them. It is “the fool” who “says in his heart there is no God.” Furthermore God has positively enforced the need for recognizing the myth of neutral approach to facts and learning by stating that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Clearly if our knowledge does not lead us to an awful fear and reverence for God through the Saviour who is the Christ, then the brightest calculations have become foolishness.
We all know that one plus one equals two, but it still remains false knowledge unless we understand that in its metaphysical origins, the very idea of numbers and mathematics proves the God of the Scriptures. Well, what lessons can we draw from this wonderful truth. There are many, But the one that I have a special affection for and interest in is the need for Christian based education for our children. And especially in our age of brand name Christianity, I would encourage a serious look at home education. And particularly the brand of education that looks for the classical approach to education. All this for the simple reason that “In Principium Creavit Deus Caelum et Terram.”
What motivated the development of this equation was the glaring lack of interest among engineers, scientists and others involved in the engineering world as to where numbers come from. Van Til is one of many theologians who have pointed out that numbers, or any other created facts, are not neutral. Behind numbers stand an awesome God who has created them. It is “the fool” who “says in his heart there is no God.” Furthermore God has positively enforced the need for recognizing the myth of neutral approach to facts and learning by stating that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Clearly if our knowledge does not lead us to an awful fear and reverence for God through the Saviour who is the Christ, then the brightest calculations have become foolishness.
We all know that one plus one equals two, but it still remains false knowledge unless we understand that in its metaphysical origins, the very idea of numbers and mathematics proves the God of the Scriptures. Well, what lessons can we draw from this wonderful truth. There are many, But the one that I have a special affection for and interest in is the need for Christian based education for our children. And especially in our age of brand name Christianity, I would encourage a serious look at home education. And particularly the brand of education that looks for the classical approach to education. All this for the simple reason that “In Principium Creavit Deus Caelum et Terram.”
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