If I’ve noticed anything over the years of interacting with atheist people (who kindly provided this meme), it’s that many of them love to set up “religion” and science as competing entities. And, of course, science always wins in their worldview.
First of all, I follow Jesus of Nazareth, who many people believe is the Son of God, but I want nothing to do with “religion” (I explain why here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-i9). Second, the comparison portrayed in the meme above is simply false.
Despite the unfortunate attitudes of some Jesus followers, science and faith have never been adversaries. Personally, I like science because it shows me what God is up to.
For example, humanity didn’t know God has an entire universe beyond the Milky Way galaxy. That all changed in the 1920s, thanks to scientist Edwin Hubble. Sure, the discovery didn’t change life for anybody, but I still appreciate the knowledge. Thanks, Ed! 🙂
Here’s something else to ponder: Wikipedia lists more than 60 (that’s correct; sixty) living, Jesus-following thinkers in the fields of engineering, physics and astronomy, chemistry and biomedical sciences. One of them, Francis S. Collins, led the way in mapping the human genome. (I wrote about him, and others, here: https://wp.me/p2wzRb-3o.)
There are likely more Jesus-following thinkers, since Wikipedia notes “This list is non-exhaustive and is limited to those scientists whose Christian beliefs or thoughts, in writing or speaking, are relevant to their notability.” If science and faith were truly enemies, how could there even be one Jesus-following scientist?
Let me highlight something else that’s important: comparing science and faith is no more logical than comparing aardvarks and baseball. They are two entirely different things.
My faith in Jesus deals with questions that science does not: Who am I? Why are you and I here? Is there a right and wrong that doesn’t change with every fickle wind of human thought? What happens after this life ends? These are important questions that all of us should consider, no matter what our money/power/sex-obsessed culture insists.
After pondering these questions, doing a lot of reading and having many conversations with brave Jesus followers, I decided Jesus is who He says He is and placed my trust and my future in Him.
This decision has had two vitally important results:
- Jesus has come into my life to make me more like the person God created me to be. That work won’t end until this life is finished.
- Jesus sacrificed His life to make up for ALL the wrong things His followers have done, as well as ALL the right things we’ve failed to do. (That’s something none of us could ever do on our own.)
As a result of what Jesus has done, God sees me like He sees His Son: perfect in every way. And so when this life ends, I’ll be welcome to spent eternity with God in a place so amazing we can barely begin to grasp it.
Does this interest you? Yes or no, post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation. 🙂
Frank's Cottage 
Collins is religious … highly religious. In fact he is an evangelical Christian.
If you loathe religion as you claim why tout religious people to try to bolster your argument, Frank?
I will take advantage every possible opportunity to highlight the work of Collins and other thinkers.
It’s my way of dispelling the silly myth that there are no Jesus-following people in the fields of engineering, physics and astronomy, chemistry and biomedical sciences.
There is, or should be, no conflict between science and Christianity. God created us to be curious and to seek knowledge. People who would have you think that the two are not compatible just don’t see the whole picture.
Happy Easter, Frank!
Religion can coexist with science so long as it steps aside when the two conflict.
Nope.
It is actually the religious who set up science as a competing entity.
Science, frankly, ignores religion. Maybe that what really annoys the theists the most.
For anyone wondering, if “the religious” set up science as a competing entity, it happened 200 years ago. Most thoughtful Jesus followers have no problem with science. And I don’t know of a single Jesus follower who cares whether science ignores faith. I certainly don’t.