Before you go on and read my blog post… Remember how there’s an unspoken rule
to never bring up politics, religion, and or sports?
Let me warn you really fast: I’m about to break that
rule. Here I go bringing up science and
religion. I wasn’t going to post this, but it’s been taking control of my mind
(Ask my friend Amanda, she’s heard all my speeches), and I haven’t been able to
think of another blog topic because this has been running through my mind 24/7.
I will not be preaching, but I will say I’ve been struggling and overcoming my
struggle. So, if you don’t feel comfortable then you don’t have to read it. :)
I’ll be posting another post soon!
Since I started college last fall, I’ve fallen in love with science. I used to always be interested in it, but it wasn’t until college that I started to truly enjoy it. (Except for physics, I hate physics.) This semester, I’m in a Neuroscience class, which I thought I wasn’t going to like at first but eventually led me to consider changing my major.
I know there’s a huge debate between science and religion, but with all the science classes I’ve taken (whether in high school or college), I’ve never had that struggle until this class. Why? Well, I don’t know if it’s because professors and/or teachers tend to skip over the subject or even just briefly touch on it. But, in this class… it’s a little different. From the first class, religion was brought up. It’s not one of those professor was a Christian and then something terrible happened and then now he hates God kind of situation, but my professors’ point is that we can’t simply state something is true without concrete evidence.
Their point makes sense. I’m on the pre-health track, so I should have a desire to understand why things happen so I can fix or prevent them later on. Simply claiming something a miracle and not wanting to know the cause, other than God, doesn’t make me suitable for the profession I have chosen. Sound harsh? I know. Which is why I’ve been struggling with it.
Anyways, I would walk out of the class frustrated and then walk to my next class, which was Chapel. Can you imagine how confused I have been? Very.
I’ll be posting another post soon!
Since I started college last fall, I’ve fallen in love with science. I used to always be interested in it, but it wasn’t until college that I started to truly enjoy it. (Except for physics, I hate physics.) This semester, I’m in a Neuroscience class, which I thought I wasn’t going to like at first but eventually led me to consider changing my major.
I know there’s a huge debate between science and religion, but with all the science classes I’ve taken (whether in high school or college), I’ve never had that struggle until this class. Why? Well, I don’t know if it’s because professors and/or teachers tend to skip over the subject or even just briefly touch on it. But, in this class… it’s a little different. From the first class, religion was brought up. It’s not one of those professor was a Christian and then something terrible happened and then now he hates God kind of situation, but my professors’ point is that we can’t simply state something is true without concrete evidence.
Their point makes sense. I’m on the pre-health track, so I should have a desire to understand why things happen so I can fix or prevent them later on. Simply claiming something a miracle and not wanting to know the cause, other than God, doesn’t make me suitable for the profession I have chosen. Sound harsh? I know. Which is why I’ve been struggling with it.
Anyways, I would walk out of the class frustrated and then walk to my next class, which was Chapel. Can you imagine how confused I have been? Very.
I went to Neuroscience Lab this week, and can you guess what
the first slides were about?
“Can science and religion co-exist, or do they naturally oppose each other?”
Then next slide goes on saying,
“If one needs the idea of God to explain natural phenomena, and then science comes along and identifies natural forces that can explain those same phenomena, then one’s need for God to exist might very well be challenged.
But isn’t it possible, indeed likely, that the issue of God’s existence is not at all dependent on our need for Him to exist?”
Sounds more like a philosophy class than a neuroscience class, right?
“Can science and religion co-exist, or do they naturally oppose each other?”
Then next slide goes on saying,
“If one needs the idea of God to explain natural phenomena, and then science comes along and identifies natural forces that can explain those same phenomena, then one’s need for God to exist might very well be challenged.
But isn’t it possible, indeed likely, that the issue of God’s existence is not at all dependent on our need for Him to exist?”
Sounds more like a philosophy class than a neuroscience class, right?
I started to notice that I didn’t doubt my faith, but I still didn’t feel right putting on two different faces. One, where I am a believer, and two, only believing what can be proven.
But, then it got me thinking…. Science is a tool that God has given us to get a glimpse of his creation, a bit more of an understanding. We don’t have answers to a lot of things, and maybe we never will. It does let us be amazed at how his creation is simple and perfect. For example, DNA, a simple string of nucleotide bases that is so similar between all species (from a mouse to an elephant) but creates such diversity to distinguish them (so dogs will have puppies, and humans will have babies), is plastic enough to allow change within a certain species. Crazy right? I just can’t help but smile at this and all the unbelievable things God makes possible.
Science hasn’t proven that God doesn’t exist. We might not have “concrete evidence” that He does, but isn’t that what faith is all about? Science and religion don’t conflict; together, they help us understand this mystery so much more. In the future when I have my job, I will be grateful that God gave me the ability to help those in need with science. Because without it, I would indeed be lost.
I believe that science and God can co-exist. What do you believe?
Let me leave you with a quote that was in my neuroscience lab,
“No one can stand in these solitudes unmoved, and not feel that there is more in man than the mere breath of his body” – Charles Darwin
(By the way, if you’re asking, “What kind of lab is this?” It was only the first couple slides that talked about this, and then it went on talking about neuroscience and the biology aspect of it.)
Hey Pamela,
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! I think it's true that a lot of Christians struggle with trying to reconcile science and the Bible but I'm glad this is a struggle that Satan threw your way to make you doubt your faith, but you overcame! :D Here's a blog post I think you might like: http://conversantfaith.com/2012/02/25/why-cant-science-and-faith-be-friends/
Your comment about miracles happening and not asking why strikes true. But, there's this verse and explanation that really encouraged me. Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has put eternity in their heart." "Eternity: a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy." (The Amplified Bible) As much as we pre-health students have a desire to learn more and more in science and as rewarding as it is, I think it's wonderful to know that God alone can satisfy.