WHAT EXACTLY IS THE CSCA?

The Canadian Scientific and Christian Affiliation (CSCA) is a fellowship of men and women of science and of disciplines that can relate to science, who share a common fidelity to the Word of God and a commitment to integrity in the practice of science. CSCA was founded in 1973 and has grown significantly since that time.

The stated purposes of the CSCA are "to investigate any area relating Christian faith and science" and "to make known the results of such investigations for comment and criticism by the Christian community and by the scientific community".

The CSCA, incorporated in 1973, is affiliated with the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), which was incorporated in 1941. As a Canadian Registered Charity, CSCA issues official receipts for income tax purposes for all donations in support of its ministry.

WHY DOES THE CSCA EXIST?

Science has brought about enormous changes in our world. Christians have often reacted as though science threatened the very foundations of Christian faith. CSCA's unique mission is to integrate, communicate, and facilitate properly researched science and biblical theology in service to the Church and the scientific community. CSCA members have confidence that such integration is not only possible, but is necessary to an adequate understanding of God and His creation. Our total allegiance is to our Creator. We acknowledge our debt to Him for the whole natural order and for the development of science as a way of knowing that order in detail. We also acknowledge our debt to Him for the Scriptures, which give us "the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ". We believe that honest and open study of God's dual revelation, in nature and in the Bible, must eventually lead to understanding of its inherent harmony.

The CSCA is also committed to the equally important task of providing advice and direction to the Church and society, on how best to use the results of science and technology while preserving the integrity of God's creation. It is an organization in which scientists, social scientists, philosophers and theologians can interact, and help shape Christian views of science. The vision of the CSCA is to have science and theology interacting and affecting one another in a positive light.

CSCA STATEMENT OF FAITH

Our platform of faith has four important planks:

1. We confess the Triune God affirmed in the Nicene and Apostle's creeds which we accept as brief, faithful statements of Christian doctrine based upon Scripture.
   
2. We accept the divine inspiration, trustworthiness and authority of the Bible in matters of faith and conduct.
   
3. We believe that in creating and preserving the universe God has endowed it with contingent order and intelligibility, the basis of scientific investigation.
   
4. We recognize our responsibility, as stewards of God's creation, to use science and technology for the good of humanity and the whole world.

These four statements of faith spell out the distinctive character of the CSCA, and we uphold them in every activity and publication of the Affiliation.

WHAT IS THE CSCA POSITION ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES SUCH AS EVOLUTION?

As an organization, the CSCA does not take a position when there is honest disagreement between Christians on an issue. We are committed to providing an open forum where controversies can be discussed without fear of unjust condemnation. We believe that this is a necessary environment for any process of arriving at truth and understanding.

Biological evolution is clearly one issue on which Christians are divided. CSCA members are firm in the conviction that God is the creator of all things seen and unseen, and firm in our denial that evolution could ultimately rule out God or His sustaining activity in His created world. Difficulty arises because "evolution" in the minds of many goes beyond God's creative and sustaining activity. They argue that accepting evolution at the scientific level inevitably stems from or leads to "evolutionism", a religious position antagonistic to Christian theism. Thus some CSCA members oppose evolution for its supposed philosophical connotations, while others accept it as a scientific theory for its alleged explanatory power. These legitimate differences of opinion among Christians who have studied both the Bible and biological science are freely expressed within the Affiliation in a context of Christian love and concern for truth.

Also commonly discussed at the Annual Meeting and among CSCA members are problems that Christians face in bioethics, environmental ethics, industrial ethics, science education, and disciplines such as the social sciences, philosophy, and theology as they relate to science. To facilitate these matters, we have Affiliations, Commissions, and Local Sections, as listed elsewhere in this brochure.