AIG Article- can creationist be scientists

Can creationists be scientists?
by Dr. Jason Lisle, Ph.D., astrophysics, AiG–USA speaker and researcher
First published inAnswers Update–USAApril 2005
It has been often said that “creationists cannot be real scientists.”
Several years ago, the National Academy of Sciences published a guidebook entitled Teaching about Evolution and the Nature of Science.1 This guidebook states that evolution is “the most important concept in modern biology, a concept essential to understanding key aspects of living things.”
In addition, the late evolutionist Theodosius Dobzhansky once made the now well-known comment that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.”2
But is a belief in “particles-to-people” evolution really necessary to understand biology and other sciences? Is it even helpful? Are there any technological advances that have been made because of a belief in evolution?
Although evolutionists interpret the evidence in light of their belief in evolution, science works perfectly well without any connection to evolution. Think about it this way: is a belief in molecules-to-man evolution necessary to understand how a computer works, how planets orbit the sun, how telescopes operate, or how plants and animals function? Has any biological or medical research benefited from a belief in evolution? No, not at all.
In fact, the Ph.D. cell biologist (and creationist) Dr. David Menton, who speaks at many conferences, has stated, “The fact is that, though widely believed, evolution contributes nothing to our understanding of empirical science and thus plays no essential role in biomedical research or education.”3
Nor has technology arisen due to a belief in evolution. Computers, cellular phones and DVD players all operate based on the laws of physics which God created. It is because God created a logical, orderly universe and gave us the ability to reason and to be creative that technology is possible. How can a belief in evolution (a belief that complex biological machines do not require an intelligent designer) aid in the development of complex machines which are clearly intelligently designed?
Technology has shown us that sophisticated machines require intelligent designers—not random chance. Science and technology are perfectly consistent with the Bible.
So it shouldn’t be surprising that there have been many scientists who believed in biblical creation. In my own research field of astrophysics, I am reminded of several of the great minds of history. Consider Isaac Newton, who co-discovered calculus, formulated the laws of motion and gravity, computed the nature of planetary orbits, invented the reflecting telescope and made a number of discoveries in optics.
Consider Johannes Kepler, who discovered the three laws of planetary motion, or James Clerk Maxwell who discovered the four fundamental equations that light and all forms of electromagnetic radiation obey. These great scientists believed the Bible.
Today as well, there are many Ph.D. scientists who reject evolution and instead believe that God created in six days as recorded in Scripture. Consider Dr. Russ Humphreys, a Ph.D. nuclear physicist who has developed (among many other things) a model to compute the present strength of planetary magnetic fields4 which was able to predict the field strengths of the outer planets. Did a belief in the Bible hinder his research? Not at all.
On the contrary, Dr. Humphreys was able to make these predictions precisely because he started from the principles of Scripture. Dr. John Baumgardner, a Ph.D. geophysicist and biblical creationist, has a model of catastrophic plate tectonics, which the journal Nature once featured (this model is based on the global Genesis Flood).
Additionally, think of all the people who have benefited from a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The MRI scanner was developed by the creationist Dr. Raymond Damadian5 who has been featured twice in Creation magazine.
Clearly, creationists can indeed be real scientists. And this shouldn’t be surprising since the very basis for scientific research is biblical creation. The universe is orderly because its Creator is logical and has imposed order on the universe. God created our minds and gave us the ability and curiosity to study the universe. Furthermore, we can trust that the universe will obey the same physics tomorrow as it does today because God is consistent. This is why science is possible.
On the other hand, if the universe is just an accidental product of a big bang, why should it be orderly? Why should there be laws of nature if there is no lawgiver? If our brains are the by-products of random chance, why should we trust that their conclusions are accurate? But if our minds have been designed, and if the universe has been constructed by the Lord as the Bible teaches, then of course we should be able to study nature.
Yes, science is possible because the Bible is true.

Thomas the Doubter

I'd planned on my first blog to be about the title of my page, Psalm 119, but this is something thats been circling through my head since I found out about it yesterday. Thomas the Apostle followed his great commission all the way to India! He landed on its western coast in the year 52 A.D. Wow. Not only that but he founded seven churches before being martyred. On top of that, there had been Jewish communities living in India before he ever arrived! I got this info from Wikipedia at this address- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syro-Malabar_Church .
This is huge to me because before I became a believer five years ago, one of my biggest doubts was how the Gospel couldnt have reached the whole world. Even after I had become a believer in the Lord, this doubt was still there. I decided that I would take it on faith that God had spread the news or made possible salvation for those "unreached". Still God can tell me when I get home just how many times the prayer of "Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!" went out to him. And He was faithful through my walk as his Spirit lead me to answers. 1st the fact that we do have an adversary who doesnt want the world to come to know Christ and what he accomplished at the cross. He has been more unsuccessful in that than is known now but has been recently very successful in propaganda. 2nd God is all powerful, he could have rocks proclaim the truth if he wanted. 3rd that He possibly wrote the Gospel in the stars (i'll expand on that on at a later date maybe). The fourth answer has been he most faith affirming for me- secular scientists dont have all the answers they say they do! A great organization called Answers in Genesis does far better job than me at defending against the many secular "rock solid Theories". Yes, I'm a Creationist! I believe in the Gap theory though, also possibly a later post. But to this date I've never seen a spread of early Christianity map that goes past the area of the Mediterrean and Middle East and that was a still slow growth up into the 4th century. Why dont they show the Indian expansion? If there has been strong evidence of Christianity in India in the mid 1st century, why not show it? Was it just not big enough? And if that was left out, what else is left out?
But to top it off, the disciple who went the farthest was Thomas the Doubter. Possibly anyway, who knows how far they could have gone that just doesnt have evidence to support it today.

John 20:26-29
A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas , "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."
Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." NIV

I admit it, this scene kinda made me write off Thomas. I mean I knew that he went and died a martyrs death, but he seemed kinda ready to die anyway. After all he was also the one who said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." John 11:16 NIV. He said that about going back to Judea to resurrect Lazarus, because the people had tried to stone Jesus there. By that point he must have seen many miracles, he's kinda like the disciples throw back to the first generation of Hebrews in the desert. You know, "Yeah, yeah you parted the sea, made the water sweet, and rained down manna, but..." With Thomas it was, "Yeah, you've healed people, turned water to wine, walked on water, but there's no way you can do anything about this one." This doubting Thomas (pun intended) is the same one who sailed forty days on the sea to land in India. Who stayed there the rest of his days, which is thought to be about 20 years more. He planted churches that lasted through intense isolation for several hundred years at a time.
I know why the Holy Spirit lead me to Thomas and what he accomplished. It's because I can see elements of my walk in his. How often have I wanted to see proof. Many times have I said to God, "Yeah, yeah, you've done this and this in my life, but there's no way you can overcome this problem." And He was giving me 'proof' just like the Lord let Thomas put his hand to his side. I found evidence of how God has spread his word much farther than I've ever seen. Furthermore, I know that God is showing me through this that He wants to do amazing things with my life if I let Him. If I turn to My Lord and My God and walk the way he calls all Christians to do.
I started this blog because God has graciously answered my prayers and greatly increased my faith and love for him and I wanted a pure outlet for that. I have a myspace account but I use that for family purposes too, and I wanted to have something devoted to my thoughts on the Lord and a place to put apologetics material. Also a place to express my support of the persecuted Church. But beyond those reasons is the hope that my two unbelieving sisters will read my posts and find Christs light within me much brighter in writing than it is over the phone (we live a whole eastern seaboard away from each other). I constantly find my conversation lacking in "salt" when I speak with them and its a source of sorrow to me.
Maybe, they can see my journey and learn from it. That is if this blog doesn't go the way every single diary I've ever started has, a few entries then nothing, lol.