Concept Blog #1 - Science and Religion

The struggle between science and religion has been around for centuries, and there is no evidence of the debate ending anytime soon. For some, science has replaced the need for God or a creator. Others retain their faith while welcoming and acknowledging the advancements science has brought. I fall into the latter category, firmly believing that science and religion can and do coexist.

The debate between science and faith may have existed, in one form or another, since the beginning of time. But it was the Scientific Revolution, beginning during the Renaissance, that really amplified the controversy. Men like Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei and Rene Descartes began to view the world around them in new ways. Applying what they already knew, they sought to discover new things and understand the truths behind how everything worked.



Galileo before the Holy Office by Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury

Unfortunately, each of these men, along with many others, came into direct conflict with the Catholic Church. Steeped in tradition and smarting from the cataclysmic division caused by the Protestant Reformation, the Church perceived these men as heretics, and the Scientific Revolution as a direct threat to its authority and the teachings of the Bible. The Church placed Galileo and others on trial for heresy, using a previously established system known as the Inquisition. The men were accused of attempting to subvert the word of God and the faith people had in the Church and its leaders. Using coercion and torture, they fought against the scientific progress these men were endeavoring to further.



Two priests demand a heretic to repent as he is tortured.

But men like Copernicus, Galileo and others were not trying to undermine the authority of the Church, nor were they out to destroy the people's faith in religion. They believed in God and the authenticity of the Bible. Also believing in most of the teachings of the Catholic Church, they had no intent to diminish its influence. They were simply in search of the truth, an understanding of the very principles God had used to create the world. There was nothing unbiblical in what they were doing, something the Catholic Church at the time failed to understand.

It seems some things never really change. Spiritual leaders have always been threatened by change or new ideas. They want to defend both their faith and their power. The leaders of the Sanhedrin were afraid Jesus would draw people toward Himself and away from the control they had over the people's lives. In a world of Roman domination, they had little control over much else, and they felt threatened enough by Jesus to have Him killed. In the same way, the Catholic Church at the time of the Scientific Revolution found itself challenged by the Protestant Reformation, and was quick to brand as heretics anyone who appeared to question the Church's doctrine.

There is just as much division between science and religion today as there has been in the past - perhaps even more now, with fewer people actively practicing a given faith. In Galileo's time, most believed in God and religious principles, whether they considered themselves Catholic or Protestant. But today, society - at least in this country - offers the suggestion that people can choose to live without religion, while at the same time enjoying the fruits of scientific discovery. So the debate continues.

I personally believe science and religion can coexist, and they can do so peacefully and rationally. I believe God created the world, and He did so using scientific principles. He also created mankind, giving us minds with the ability to think, investigate, explore, experiment and - most importantly - comprehend the "mysteries" we've discovered. What's more, we can use what we've learned to better not only our lives but the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves. For example, exploring science allows us to accomplish medical breakthroughs to help the sick, while improvements in transportation technologies can get medicine to patients (or patients to medicine) faster than ever.

People don't have to choose between science and religion. They can have faith in both simultaneously.