Under the theme \u201cThe Sun Still Shines,\u201d representatives from more than ten countries explored the relationship between science and creation, guided by two international guest speakers, Josue Cardoso Dos Santos, PhD, and Daniel Blanco, PhD.<\/p>\n Dos Santos, a Brazilian scientist now based in the United States, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS), where he specialises in celestial mechanics. Blanco, an Argentinian professor and researcher at the Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL), specialises in epistemology and the history of science.<\/p>\n Coming from different academic backgrounds, the two speakers approached the relationship between faith and science from complementary perspectives. Their presentations explored questions ranging from Ptolemy\u2019s mathematical remedies for a \u201crebellious\u201d cosmos and the fine-tuning of the universe, to the speed of light and the challenge of teaching physics and astronomy from a biblical perspective.<\/p>\n Not even the heatwave or the unforgiving Spanish sun prevented attendees and guests from slowly ascending the hill behind Sagunto Adventist Campus in time to witness the eclipse. Armed with hats, mosquito repellent and ISO-certified eclipse glasses, they gathered on the hillside and waited for a natural spectacle that one guest would later describe as \u201ccompletely not overrated.\u201d<\/p>\n Beginning around 7:30 pm and reaching maximum coverage at approximately 8:30 pm, the eclipse gradually unfolded above them, prompting spontaneous cheers of joy from the group. For most participants, it was their first time seeing a total solar eclipse, making those few minutes memorable.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, watching the eclipse together was one of the most beautiful parts,\u201d said Noem\u00ed Dur\u00e1n, PhD, GRI Europe Director, and event organiser. \u201cThe feeling you get when you remove the glasses and see the sun fully covered, and the corona, and you know that everyone else in the group is feeling the same, is indescribable.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody started cheering, and you could hear people shouting: \u2018Glory to God\u2019 or \u2018Thank you, God\u2019. It was a gift for the entire group,\u201d Dur\u00e1n said, reflecting on how the shared experience of awe ultimately led to worship.<\/p>\n The conference brought together a variety of European professionals and students, including physicists, pharmacists, engineers, and even social media influencers interested in sharing faith and science content online. Their backgrounds were different, but many shared a desire: to explore questions of faith and science alongside others who take both seriously.<\/p>\n Claudio Gargano, the GRI Ambassador for Italy, first began attending these events because, as a marine biologist, he wanted to explore \u201chow my belief in Christ fits in the world that I live in. So, I was looking for a group of people that shared the same perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, as an ambassador, he sees an opportunity to take those conversations beyond the conference. \u201cWe still lack a lot of knowledge in terms of science and how creation [works]\u2026 We are trying to bridge the gap through local activities and international events. This is why I am excited to share what GRI is doing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For German physicist and pastor Martin Borm, bridging that gap begins with understanding. \u201cIt is important to understand how things work; in nature and in scripture\u2026 Ignorance is dangerous. Man has destroyed much because he didn’t understand and thus could not appreciate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are not thrown about by random whims of chaos, but live in a universe that follows the laws of its Creator,\u201d he continued. \u201cTherefore, ignorance in spiritual matters is equally destructive. If man is not using his capacity to understand, he ignores the means God has given him for his own salvation. There is no such thing as a lazy and indifferent Christian.\u201d<\/p>\n For Hector Postigo, a Spanish attendee finishing a degree in physics, the learning process has been personal. He sees education and scientific communication as key reasons for attending events like this, and as a way of avoiding the false choice between faith and scientific inquiry.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I was a kid, I used to have a very simplistic view of the Big Bang theory (mainly rocks colliding and forming planets). So, I\u2019d go to school and say: \u2018No, no. All these ideas were false…\u201d With time, however, his understanding changed.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I did not understand,\u201d Postigo continued, \u201cis that the Big Bang was a theory that could help you see that the universe has a beginning.\u00b9 And through that, see the need for God. The theory did not shut the door to God, but in some way, though not categorically, it opens a conversation about beginnings in the scientific spheres.\u201d<\/p>\n For Postigo, learning how to have that conversation is as important as having an answer. \u201cIf we understand it properly, we [Christians] can talk [to non-believers] as a group of people who are interested in discovering the truth, rather than imposing it, and who think seriously.\u201d<\/p>\n The whole event had a strong spiritual component, with devotionals every morning and specially selected worship music. The theme song, \u201cI See You\u201d, a soft ballad by American singer-songwriter JJ Heller, captured the spirit of the conference, highlighting the wonder of creation.<\/p>\n Each morning, participants sang the song together, its words inviting them to look beyond the ordinary and recognise nature as one of the ways in which God reveals His power and character.<\/p>\n “There are two books that God uses to reveal Himself, the Bible and nature,” shared Antonio Cremades, PhD, during the closing remarks. “As Christians, we have left one book aside\u2026 as a result, evolutionists have picked it up. We are trying to defend our positions and answer back to them, but we are no longer pioneering.”<\/p>\n \u201cAs Christians, we have much to say about nature. We know it has an intelligent Creator that designed it,\u201d continued Cremades, a retired biology professor and theologian whose support for GRI has spanned decades. \u201cBecause nature reveals His character, we must reclaim the book of nature and its message,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [Photos: Marti Szyd\u0142owska, Mitchell Cordero & Vanesa Pizzuto]<\/em><\/p>\n \u00b9Note: During the Faith and Science Conference<\/em>, Dos Santos gave a presentation titled \u201cWhat Is Not the Big Bang Model?\u201d, in which he explained, among other points, the distinction between the Big Bang model and biological evolutionary theory. The Big Bang model addresses the origin of the universe (it is not a theory of biological evolution). He also explored how scientific models that seek to explain the beginning of the universe can provide starting points for conversations between faith and science. For further information and a more detailed context, see Aleksei Popov\u2019s article, \u201cThe Big Bang, Standard Cosmological Model, and the Bible.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Faith, science and wonder meet under the Spanish sky<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":26478,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26477"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26477\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26497,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26477\/revisions\/26497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Participants](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/2_The-Sun-Still-Shines.jpg\")
The Total Solar Eclipse<\/h2>\n
![\"Participants](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3_The-Sun-Still-Shines.jpg\")
![\"Attendees](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4_The-Sun-Still-Shines.jpg\")
Why Events Like This Matter<\/h2>\n
![\"Attendees](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5_The-Sun-Still-Shines.jpg\")
I See You<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/ted.adventist.org\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6_The-Sun-Still-Shines.jpg\")
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