Science and Religion: Friend or Enemy?

I have frequently heard from antipathic people who hates the Christian faith that Christianity has been a 'science stopper'. That religious people have always prevented the growth of scientific knowledge. They even advance the idea that if it wasn't for the Christian religion, the world would have made significant progress in science and culture many centuries ago. However, what is missing in their grandiose claims against Christianity is ANY shred of evidence to substantiate their claims.

Contrary to their repeated claims, we do have historical evidence for Christianity as the only major contributor to the rise of modern science. We know for example that if it was not for Christianity there would have probably never been anything resembling the scientific establishment that we are all so proud of today. The Cambridge trained Historian Dr. James Hannam argues convincingly in his book that the very idea of science and its brilliant methodology also known as 'the scientific method' has arisen because of Christianity and not in spite of Christianity. His book, The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution, was twice shortlisted for The Royal Society Science Book Prize 2010 and the British Society for The History of Science Dingle Book Prize 2011. Yes, the book is that good that even secular institutions shortlisted it for multiple awards.

This book is a powerful antidote for the wide-ranging historical ignorance going around among the modern youth and the uninformed young adults who have swallowed the ludicrous narrative against Christianity under the misguided veil of being 'skeptics' or 'free thinkers' or even 'enlighted intellectuals'. You would think that with these self-congratulatory titles, they would have at least done their homework and check their history books or do some minimum research before they publicly expose their ignorance when they speak about the relationship between Christianity and Science.

I was in a heated exchange with a gentleman who was overtly skeptical about the contribution of science by religious persons during the period of the 'Scientific Revolution'. I was surprised that he chose that specific period in order to launch his offensive. I then proceeded in sharing with him a list of some Medieval (Middle Age) scientists during the Scientific Revolution Era who were Christians and who were pioneers of many scientific fields. Read them below in their own words:

1. Nicholas Copernicus, (1473-1543) – Astronomer: “To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.”

2. Tycho Brahe, (1546–1601) Astronomer: “Those who Study the Stars, have God for a Teacher”.

3. Galileo Galilei, (1564-1642) Astronomer: “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. When I reflect on so many profoundly marvelous things that persons have grasped, saw and done, I recognize even more clearly that human intelligence is the work of God and one of the most excellent”.

4. Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) was an astronomer: “Our piety is the deeper, the greater is our awareness of creation and its grandeur. Since we astronomers are priests to the highest God with regard to the book of creation, it befits us to be thoughtful not of the glory of our mind but rather above all else of the glory of God”.

5. Rene Descartes, (1596-1650), Mathematician and Physicist (the early text on optics and anatomy): “Thus I see plainly that the certainty and truth of all knowledge depend uniquely on my awareness of the true God in such an extent that I was incapable of perfect knowledge about anything else until I became aware of Him”.

6. Blaise Pascal, (1623-1662) (Mathematicians, Physicist): “There are two kinds of people one can call reasonable: those who serve God with all their heart because they know him, and those who seek him with all their heart because they do not know Him”.

7. Sir Robert Boyle (1627-1691) (Founder of modern chemistry): “The vastness, beauty, orderliness of heavenly bodies, the excellent structure of animals and plants, and other phenomena of nature justly induce an intelligent, unprejudiced observer to conclude that a supreme, powerful, just and good Author.”

8. Anthony van Leeuwenhoek (1632—1723), Dutch Microscopist who was the first to observe bacteria: “It is to be hoped that the inquirer into nature works by searching deeper and deeper into her hidden mysteries will more and more place the discoveries of the truth before the eyes of all so as to produce a version to the errors of former times which all those who love the truth are diligent to aim at. For we cannot in any better manner better glorify the Lord and Creator of the universe than that in all things, how small forever they appear to our naked eyes which has yet to receive the gift of life and power or increase, we contemplate the display of His omniscience, and perfection with the utmost admiration”.

9. Sir Issac Newton (25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727) was an English mathematician, physicist: “ The Supreme God is a Being eternal, infinite, [and] absolutely perfect. Opposition to godliness is atheism in profession and idolatry in practice. Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors.”

This list was adapted from a Dr. David Wood presentation debate. Some of the quotes are longer than the one provided initially by Dr. Wood, for I went to the sources and selected lengthier quotations to bring out more clearly their strong Christian beliefs and commitment to show how their faith guided their scientific exploration.

As the list of those luminaries above demonstrates, there is nothing inimical between Science and Christianity. On the contrary as Dr. Hannam argued in his book, Modern Science arose within Christian Europe and not somewhere else for a reason. Christian thoughts were the decisive factor that provided the background knowledge and a foundation for the development of the whole scientific enterprise.

Why do Modern Scientists who believe are in a minority then?

For some, the exaggerated report that today's body of scientists do not believe in the existence of God (the divine) seem to strike a point in favor of the secular proposition that science doesn't work hand in hand with belief. And the evidence usually provided to support such a claim is that ‘93% of the National Academy Of Science scientists are atheists’. 

However, this is an inadequate reading of the evidence. The National Academy of Science (NAS) is not representative of all scientists neither in the USA nor in the world. NAS has only 2 thousand (2,000) scientists as members of the organization; while the whole country of the United States of America (U.S) has 2 million (2,000,000) scientists. And of these 2 million scientists, 51% of scientists in the USA believe in the existence of the divine. 

And this reflection only caters to the demography of scientists in the USA which doesn't take into account the number of scientists in another part of the world such as Africa, India, etc.

The warfare thesis that pit Science against Christianity is quite a modern idea. It has taken a stronghold in the public imagination thanks to a virulent secularization of our society which foister this misrepresented view to an unsuspected public.