Like many Americans raised in Christian homes, I once believed that science is anti-Christian and that evolution should be fought vigorously. That belief has changed for me.

It all started rather innocently about three years ago. I was reading the story of Noah and the flood, a story I've read many times, but for some reason during that reading, something "clicked." I realized that if we believe the story of the flood, and if it happened about 5,000 years ago, as many Christians believe, then there had to be some very serious evolutionary action going on to get the diversity we now have from what walked off the ark!

This was just an embryonic wandering. It still needed (if you'll pardon the intentional pun) to evolve into something more viable.

First came an Old Testament survey class at Bible college. There, I learned that the Bible was not written to answer our contemporary questions. The stories of creation and the flood directly refuted the ancient myths of Earth and mankind as an accidental byproduct of gods at war. They showed Yahweh as a very intentional creator. They don't address our scientific question because there were no such questions at the time Genesis was told to the ancient Israelites. Today, we can't read into the Bible something that isn't there.

Next, I heard Dinesh D'Souza at a local conference. He not only addressed how to challenge the "new atheism," but he also hinted at the possibility that science itself is good!

So, I discovered John Haught and Alister McGrath. I learned that rather than contradicting the Bible, science actually supports it. I learned that whether or not they like it, men of science are men of faith. It takes great faith to believe that physical laws have a rationality that can be discovered.

In my journey of scientific discovery, I've learned that the Big Bang Theory validates Genesis 1:3. It shows that there was a beginning of space and time, and therefore "something" must exist outside of space and time. It shows that space and time started with a "bang" — of light!

I've learned that science shows that the Earth is perfect for the life it holds. The tilt of the axis, the mix of elements in the air, even the moon that hangs above us all contribute to a system perfect for us, too perfect for accident.

I've also learned, however, that creationism is not a scientific theory because it is not testable by scientific method. That doesn't mean that creationism is invalid, only that it is unscientific.

I also learned that "religion" gave birth to "science" many years ago. Religion challenged science to go deeper to understand what God created, to not just accept possible theories, but test them thoroughly. Religion and science are at their finest when they work together to understand both the natural and the supernatural.

Cheryl A.F. Okimoto is the creative director of Island Christian Guide. Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes submissions from pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035. Articles submitted to The Advertiser may be published or distributed in print, electronic or other forms.