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Creation of Adam

Science and Faith

Creation of Adam

A tweet recently pointed me to another tweet and a linked article:

Check out this poll. A lot of people convinced that religion will die out because of science. But the fact is, the average % of atheists in science hasn’t changed one bit in the last 100 years. And who is in a better position to know about progress in science than scientists?

Sarah Salviander

My first degree is in Science (mostly Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Philosophy, and Philosophy of Mathematics); my second degree is in religion, faith, theology. I struggle with some people’s idea that they conflict.

The tweets point to an article, Scientists and Belief.

Science and the scientific approach is, of course, itself an act of faith. Science is the belief that the universe, reality, makes sense and will make sense.

Science is the belief that past truths will continue into the future. For example, in the past, putting water in a container on to a flame has resulted in the water boiling, therefore (says Science) putting water in a container on to a flame will result in the water boiling. Why? Because it always has in the past. But, just because something always has in the past, it is an act of faith to be convinced that therefore it will continue to happen into the future. But (the response would be) in the past the prediction of the future from past experience has always proved to be true. Unfortunately for Science, just because that has always been true in the past, this does not mean that will continue into the future!

Science is about one type of truth. [Mathematics, usually, is about a different type of truth – no amount of experimenting can disprove that 1+2=3; even one drop of water plus two drops of water resulting in one drop of water; or one cow and two bales of hay making one very satisfied cow; or …] Then there are different types of truth to Science and Mathematics: this is beautiful; this person loves me; murder is wrong…

…God is…

Science and faith complement each other rather than conflict. Science says how; faith says why.

Post scriptum: in New Zealand, this more-non-religious-than-religious country, it is notable how superstition rather than science so often reigns – “The Richie McCaw curse strikes again, as former All Blacks skipper watches RWC defeat“.

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3 thoughts on “Science and Faith”

  1. Ruth Hendry-Rennie

    Last Thursday I was at a clients house, I was standing by the woodburner, suddenly thunder cracked above
    The house, and lightening must have hit the flue of the woodburner, as a blue light travelled down the flue to the room, cracking again! What a sight! Next client, recalled her experience in outback Australia,..of a lightening strike that had hit the house, forming a blue ball of electricty, created by this, that rolled down the hallway!
    Twenty years ago, Travelling thought my spiritual god state, this would have been received as a poleagest to me! God given of course! Yes, science does have a place first, I believe, in my faith! Blessings Bosco. Ruth

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