Should Christians blindly ignore Science?

Question

I am a Christian but get VERY annoyed when I hear other Christians be dogmatic about their opinions - especially in areas like science...

Discounting other (usually highly intelligent) people's work without even taking the time to try and understand it, makes Christians look ignorant and limited... not surprising that some people look at Christianity as a crutch for the weak (which it is not!!)...

Take the "Big Bang Theory" as an example... statistically incalculable odds that these events took place... so why can't this be the miracle of God's Creation??

Can parts of Science and Religion acually compliment each other if done so with discernment and Godly assistance?

Answer 1

Emma O's post is exactly correct about the hypocrisy of rejecting science out of hand while enjoying its benefits, like electricity (the science of physics), or automobiles (the science of thermodynamics and combustion), or refrigerators (more thermodynamics, electricity, and chemistry).

But let us not forget a little branch of science called 'medicine'. Any Christian who rejects science out of hand needs to think about it the next time they take an asprin, or their doctor prescribes some antibiotics for them or their children, or they consider the vaccinations that saved them from dying of polio or tuberculosis as a child, or they or someone they care about gets an X-ray, a CaT scan, an MRI, a colonoscopy, radiation treatment or chemotherapy for cancer, etc.

... Or uses the Internet ... (which is every single person on Yahoo Answers).

Science ... all of it ... science.

To blindly ignore science, or to blithely discount scientists as 'liars' or 'frauds' or (my favorite) 'stupid' is *incredible* hypocrisy.

As for your question ... absolutely, there is always the possibility of something being a 'miracle of God's creation.' But that should not prevent human beings from searching for a rational explanation for something that does not involve miracles.

Is a sunset a "miracle"? At one point we thought it was. The sun rising and setting every day like clockwork could only be explained as an act of God (or of gods). But we eventually found a rational explanation (we are living on a rotating planet). But in one sense that does not diminish the *personal* miracle that a sunset is. The very concept of 'beauty' is miraculous. And to a complete human being, the two concepts ... the rational, scientific explanation of what causes the sunset ... and the miraculous experience of how it makes us *feel* ... are completely compatible.

Answer 2

No, Christians shouldn't blindly ignore science, but neither should science blindly ignore faith. Scientists can be equally dogmatic and arrogant, and often try to use their privileged education to justify their stance.

Our goal in this life's journey is to strive to take something useful to our personal growth out of every encounter, and to treat each other with respect. Both Christians and scientists should have the humility to approach each other with curiosity and a will to understand. There is no easy answer - that is our challenge.

Answer 3

I totally think they can complement each other. Studying science is an amazing doorway into the mind of the most intelligent being in the universe. It is marvellous to discover the wonder, beauty and logic of how things work, in physics, maths, chemistry. The order and clean perfection of some scientific systems does point to the intelligent mind who created all these things, and it is a credit to his skill and creativity that we see the level of care and detail in every process, equation and reaction that keeps everything going. He designed the laws of science that we observe at work. We can only observe them as humans, not alter them, so we view things as "impossible" if they don't fit these laws. But if God wrote these laws, he also has the power to over-rule them on occasion in what we term as miracles. Wow.

Answer 4

I've never considered science and religion to be contradictory, even though it seems that a lot of people seem to think so. I believe that both have their own place in a person's life. I believe God created a universe that follows the laws of science, and as creator and ruler of the universe, I think that it is quite possible for Him to accomplish that. Besides, what's a more impressive universe: one that is self-inconsistent with the world of our observations, for example with the Big Bang, or a world created that is completely ordered and consistent without contradiction? If you believe the former, God is at best incompetent, having to patch up His errors haphazardly, and at worst a trickster, leaving behind false evidence for us to follow. In the latter case, God would have set everything in motion with the Big Bang and chosen laws of science in such a way that the universe would form to His plans, without constant intervention on His part,

I suggest reading "Finding Darwin's God" by Kenneth R. Miller. It focuses specifically on reconciling evolution and religion, but it alse discuses science in general.

Answer 5

I am a strong believer in science. I believe that all animals evolved over millions of years to present day, including humans. How else can we explain fossils that are hundreds of millions of years old, before humans existed? I think the Bible can only answer some of the events in time, but not all of them. There are too many anomolies in the Bible for me to take it seriously as a true record of events.

ie: Adam, Eve, Adam has sex with Eve, two children, Cain, Able, Cain kills Able, Cain is banished to a distant land, Cain has a wife.

Considering his mother Eve, is the only woman on the planet, where does his wife come from???

Answer 6

Thank you for not being a fundamentalist jerk who closes his mind to every logical thing that happens in this world. Science explores the "how things happened" idea of things where religion explores "why things happened". For anyone to reject science simply because of religion they are limiting their mind entirely. Science is not the enemy of religion, and should be embraced by all- human knowledge is just as important as human belief. To answer your question- OF COURSE NOT! They should walk hand in hand. I think the big hangup is over the creation story. Many christians hold the bible as absolute truth- where it merely should be providing a guideline. To believe in science AND religion is way more intelligent.

Answer 7

There are tons and tons of other apparent contradictions in the world. It's not anybody's job to say it's science or religion on any issue. No one should tell me I shouldn't believe in God if I believe evolution is fact and vice versa. Hardly any religion commented on science that didn't even exist during the time they emerged. Science and religion is two different things, but there's no rule that says one should choose one over another. Many considers them two exclusive ways to looking at our universe. If you abandon any one of them you're really missing half the picture.

Answer 8

I'd say to those christians that believe they should ignore science that they are indeed just filthy hipocrits.
I bet they all have a kettle, central heating, a microwave and cooker, telephone etc. Unless they live in a field in a mud hut with a well for water and they collect, kil and prepare thier own food and make their own belonging such as clothing, pots pans and furniture then they are not ignoring science are they.

Answer 9

im a christian too, and do agree that christians have no reason whatsoever to blindly ignore science.

ultimately the difference in opinion between a christian and an evolutionist/big bang theory person would be that christians believe God created everything and evolutionists believe it evolved.

however i would believe that if God created everything, then he created and designed the science of it all too...therefore i would say that science is very much of God too

Answer 10

It is essential that christians,and most other religions, blindly ignore science, in order that there religions continues to get support.I say most,as some religions rely on science. These have a greater problem as 'science' is always changing.
You cannot believe in science and religion.They are in a dispute with each other.One or the other.