Edison's Faith

"Trying to mix science and religion is a fool's errand, one is the study and interpretation of physical data, the other is a matter of faith, believing without seeing (Blessed is he who believes without seeing). To attempt to use faith in science, or science in faith, simply demeans them both."

Not so. Every scientific experiment is done "in faith." If a scientist had the results in front of him where he could see them, why would he be experimenting? He is conducting a test because he doesn’t yet see the results.

Edison kept experimenting with the light bulb over and over, because he believed he would eventually see the light. It was because of his faith that he got a result. He believed without seeing, until the light gave him that for which he was looking. Never make the mistake of believing that you can ever remove faith from that equation.

No doubt there is something more behind your seeming distain for "faith." Is it because it has the connotation that God is somehow in the mix? That would be another mistake. It was Albert Einstein who rightly said, "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind."

Although Edison wasn't a believer (he's one of my great heroes), it was God who gave him light. Without his God-given, wonderfully inventive brain, we would probably still be in darkness.

It's also important to understand that "religion" (for want of a better word) is not "blind" faith. God has given us all the evidence we need, including "many infallible proofs," and He exhorts us to "come, let us reason together."

The fact that some don't recognize the evidence doesn't mean it's not there. Would we still consider Edison a genius if the light came on, but he refused to see it? He would either be blind or a fool.

God has given light to every man (see John 1:9)--through this wonderful creation, through the undeniable voice of the conscience, and through plain old common sense.

When the Bible speaks of "faith" in God, that is not a reference to an intellectual acknowledgement that He exists (we all know that). It's speaking of an implicit trust in His person and His promises.