The silence of scripture is not evidence for us, or, as I sometimes like to put it: “When short of data literally for Heaven’s sake, keep mind open and mouth shut.” There are any number of speculative questions on which the scripture simply doesn’t say anything.... And we must get into our bones the idea that, where we’re dealing with God’s truth, it is not our business—even in the interests of piety and all kinds of apologetic or other advantages—for us to overplay God’s hand for Him, to pretend that we can deny certain things and say that they’re impossible on biblical grounds where the Bible has simply said nothing.

— Donald M. MacKay, “God’s View of Man,” 1986, 34:18.

A scientist in God’s world, who knows and loves the Author of it, can rejoice equally in the growth of the explanatory structure of science, and in any surprises that may shake it. For both he returns thanks to the same Giver, recognizing his obligation to do justice both to the normal coherence of the flux of created events, and to its moment-by-moment contingency on the divine fiat. His mind will be open but critical, rational but not rationalistic, realizing that the God of truth is even more concerned than he is that he should not swallow falsehood—but also that he should not disbelieve what is true, however unexpected. He will be careful—especially in his public pronouncements—to distinguish as clearly as possible between data and theoretical extrapolations; chary of baseless speculation; and alert to illegitimate attempts to turn science into scientism. In all this—if he can only be true to it—he may find much of value for the defense of the biblical faith; but the Christian’s motive for it can never be one of apologetic expediency. His one desire must be to do the fullest justice to all the data given him by God, to whom he will be accountable for keeping the record straight.

— Donald M. MacKay, Science, Chance, and Providence, 1978, pp. 19-20.

But if once we recognize that at least most theological categories are not ‘in the same plane’ (in the same logical subspace) as most scientific categories, there is no longer any theological merit in hunting for gaps in the scientific pattern. Gaps there are in plenty. But...it would seem to be the Christian’s duty to allow—indeed to help—these gaps to fill or widen as they will, in humble and cheerful obedience to the truth as God reveals it through our scientific discipline, believing that to have theological stakes in scientific answers to scientific questions is to err in company with those unbelievers who do the like.

— Donald M. MacKay, “Divine Activity in Physical Events,” 1954, p. 189.