Turns Out, Science and Religion Get Along Just Fine

Most people say science and religion are not at odds with each other. So why does the media present it that way?

Source: www.nationaljournal.com...

If it accomplished anything at all, the recent evolution-versus-creation debate between Bill Nye (science guy) and Ken Ham (creationist guy) reinforced this idea: that science and religion are impossibley at odds, that Nye and Ham are speakers of two different languages, incomprehensible to one another.

But that impression—that the population is stubbornly sorted into science people and religious/creation people—is not accurate.

I am a scientist holding multiple bachelors degrees as well as a masters. I am also a believer in God. I believe science and religion are reconcilable. It's nice to see that even though most media wants to demonize those who believe in God/Creation the truth finds it's way out.

Edit: For a link to the Bill Nye/Ken Ham debate see this YouTube link:

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by raymundoko


I believe in God.

I also have a firm grasp of the world around me based on what science has revealed. I ignore the staunch pinheads on the extreme opposing sides.

I wont subscribe to "It's either only this or only that" that's their self imposed limitation.

Not mine.

reply to post by raymundoko


Just curious, as a scientist have you ever tried to prove the existence of any sort of god through the use of empirical means?

I have always believed that God and science are not mutually exclusive.

I believe science WILL prove the existence of God or at least a Prime Mover.

I'm with you. I think they compliment each other quiet nicely. And in cases they might not? Great! That leads to debate, mystery and for some faith. Win win.

reply to post by Bellor


No. I've never decided to try to prove the existence of god if that is what you are asking. To me it just seems evident. I've read every major religions books and have spent multiple years on each subject. I align "Christian" but have studied in depth Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. Most of my filler courses in college were theological in nature.

reply to post by raymundoko


I believe in god and what science has taught us so far. I'm a believer that if you stand on only one side you limit yourself on several different levels.

Being on this site, I have actually taken Slayers standpoint and, have refrained from debating with individuals in regards to religion and science.

Believe what you want, it's your life

reply to post by raymundoko

I am a scientist holding multiple bachelors degrees as well as a masters. I am also a believer in God. I believe science and religion are reconcilable. It's nice to see that even though most media wants to demonize those who believe in God/Creation the truth finds it's way out.

The idea that god might exist and the idea religion is true are distinctly separate.

If science and religions account for creation are happy co-existing then reconcile this:

1)Bible says the Earth was formed before the Sun.
2)Bible says the Earth was growing fruit bearing trees prior to the Sun existing.

You need to demonstrate this reconciliation otherwise you're just appealing to authority with your mention of various degrees.

reply to post by raymundoko


Fair enough man, Christianity is personaly the last religion I would have picked, I much prefer my gods to be giant pink elephants that fly around in giant cloud palaces existing in at least three different cosmic eggs at any one time.

But then I dont believe religion was really meant to be taken literally, anyway, take it easy.

I agree, too, that belief in God, and an understanding of science can go hand in hand. Too many people don't see that. I sat in a class yesterday and listened to a girl talk about our professor, because he refers to the millions of years of evolution that have taken place. i guess she believes the earth is 6,000 years old. I told her that one can believe in God, or a Creator and believe in science as well. I don't know how well she took that, but she didn't bring it up anymore.

Too many contradictions in all religions with big similarities for me to even attempt to believe one over another. The essence of religion is one love, on that basis alone I don't dislike why religion was created.

Personally for me, I don't need religion to define me, I define my self with kindness & love, no one is above me or below me - we're all equal & Gods inside us all, whether you're religious or not.

Fair enough as long as everyone doesn't start arguing about religion. Otherwise it's always good to try and be impartial to both sides.

Science demands continual verification of its theories based on evidence. Questioning, criticism, refutation, are all things not only welcomed but critical to science.

Those are all alien to religion. Religion demands you have faith where evidence is absent.

They are fundamentally different approaches. I see no reconciliation with science and religion.

In fact I think supporting this notion is detrimental to science as it indoctrinates children with beliefs antithetical to the critical thinking science requires.

.02

Lucid Lunacy
If science and religions account for creation are happy co-existing then reconcile this:

1)Bible says the Earth was formed before the Sun.
2)Bible says the Earth was growing fruit bearing trees prior to the Sun existing.

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6 And God said, “Let there be an expanse[a] in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. 8 And God called the expanse Heaven.[c] And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

9 And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth,[d] and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants[e] yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

It would appear that you are incorrect.

Please note the words "without form"...the physical entity of the Earth (as we walk upon it) was not created until the 3rd day...2 days after the Sun.

reply to post by peck420


No. Keep reading.

This is from the 4th Day:

1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:
1:15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.
1:16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

This is from the 3rd day:

1:11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

1:12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

As I said. Fruit trees were both growing and yielding fruit prior to the Sun.

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy

As I said. Fruit trees were both growing and yielding fruit prior to the Sun.

Thats impossible. Without photons there is no photosynthesis.

reply to post by Lucid Lunacy

I guess the original author of the creation story should have broken things down into quantum mechanics so everyone could understand.

If you feel the warmth of the sun on your face you have evidence that the sun exists. Not proof but a bit of evidence. The same goes for God. Those that have experience have evidence. Those that have not do not.

Lucid Lunacy
reply to post by peck420

 

As I said. Fruit trees were both growing and yielding fruit prior to the Sun.

Is the sun required for plant life?

Funny, I could have swore there is a multi-trillion dollar industry that grows the majority of their product well hidden from the sun...

You also seem to be incapable of recognizing that, per the bible, the 'light' (which would contain everything the plants require from the sun) was introduced on day 1. It just wasn't coalesced into a 'sun' until after the Earth.

Now, I have a very serious question for you:

Are you eager to throw away religion and all that it has brought humanity?

Bone75
reply to post by Lucid Lunacy

 

I guess the original author of the creation story should have broken things down into quantum mechanics so everyone could understand.

Sadly, if you ever try to explain quantum mechanics to a child, it ends up sounding a lot like some of the different holy texts...which makes you wonder sometimes...was this just the rendition provided to us by another, much more technologically advanced being, using terms that our species could understand at the time of encounter?