Our Father in heaven (Matthew 6:9)
Our Father (Luke 11-2)
Scientific view of the cosmos
There is continuous effort to reduce the complexity of theoretical explanation of the cosmos into as few fundamental Laws of Nature as possible. The Theory of Everything, a single model describing all aspects of the physical reality, is the so far elusive goal of fundamental research.
A few theories or one - this does not change the fact that in scientific research the Universe is seen as a logical whole setting the content and limits of the world as we know it. It is an iron glad cage made of unbreakable natural laws, something that can be studied experimentally and that can be analysed logically on the basis of what is known.
The fact that so many aspects of the cosmos are unknown, that there new things are discovered that fundamentally change older view like dark energy and dark matter or quantum physics, does not break this cage of natural laws. They are just new additions to the same basic quest for explanation and require modification and expansion, sometimes rejection, of currently commonly adopted views.
Heavenly Father and His Son
There is a natural tendency to understand God of Israel as someone who abodes in the sky, somewhere up there in the heavens. Modern cosmology does not, however, leave room for God's heavenly temple somewhere there behind the stars. It is a singularity, physical reality that works according to the laws of nature - some known and some unknown - with no specific room as the abode of Heavenly Father.
But here exactly the Bible blows into smithereens the natural - and widely adopted and held - mental image of God somewhere up there in the physical sky.
First, there are the apocalyptic texts that describe how sky is opened like a book scroll and a different reality becomes visible to the inhabitants of earth.
Secondly, the miracle stories break the cage of natural laws.
Thirdly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ introduces a completely different and yet somehow similar and linked reality in the existence. Jesus did not return back to this life as many mistakenly think but rather represents something entirely new and different, with roots in this our existence.
Saint Paul goes to great lengths in trying to explain this to the Corinthian Christians using metaphors, how seed is rotten but from its dead looking body grows a new plant.
Multiple reality
Science seeks unifying physical model that explains everything by natural laws. As such it represents a mental cage that is such a source of pride to many atheists.
While Jews and Christians may have confused views of heaven and sky - the concepts are difficult - the Scriptures break the singularity of the cosmos, the One. Certain passages hint without ever giving detailed logical explanations that there is another level of reality hidden from our physical eyes but reachable through personal faith and only through faith.
