Do Catholic schools teach science?

Question

Isn't that going against their belief? Isn't that..like..hypocritical?

And for that matter, do Catholic colleges/universities have science majors?

Do they just pretend they believe in FACT (real science--evolution, etc.)?

To "The Pope": This is Yahoo! Answers. I am asking a question. A friendly person would have answered me properly. Aren't you a man of religion? Why don't you try to explain to me how they put together evolution and whatever they think is true? NO, instead you decided to be a complete A$$hole.

Thanks bunches.

Wow, really great answers. I'm glad that most of the Catholics/Christians that have answered weren't rude towards the question (unlike some people). That's good that they still teach it even though it may go against what they personally believe.

Answer 1

I'd like to think Catholic schools (religious institutions in general) teach science. I also think its not hypocrisy for them to do so. Religion attempts to answer 'why' and science attempts to answer 'how'. Its possible to look at the same question, answer it from both directions and not have contradictions.... unless you are determined to find them.

However, I realize that considering the whole intelligent design thing - religion wrapped up in a bow as science (isn't that pretty?) its hard to say one way or the other anymore.

Its interesting to think that Pope John Paul II said the Big Bang theory was not in conflict with the Bible, yet desperate fundamentalist literalism has had to come up with intelligent design to try and regain something they had lost only in their own minds. I guess the scientists don't buy into intelligent design because the church told them they need to be saved..... again. Is that it? Forgive them, they know not what they do or something like that?

Personally, I'm happy treading water and doing just fine, without drowning myself. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing - IE swimming. Since you are the drowning man, I'm happy to offer a hand as long as you don't use it to push me under in an attempt to push yourself above the surface. You are the one thrashing about because you can't swim remember? Drown a swimmer in the pool of science and everyone dies. You jumped in the pool on your own. I guess I realize this because I took the time to pay attention to all my classes - including physical education (ie - science, metaphorically speaking) Look who can swim and look who can't. Look who needs saving after all.

On the other hand, there is NO WAY I'm going to jump out of a plane without the parachute of faith. I'm also going to want to have an expert next to me to pull my rip-cord for me if I freak out. The sky is not a pool, a pool is not the sky - ripcords don't work in pools, treading water doesn't work in free fall.

Swimmers don't jump out of airplanes without instruction. Why to skydivers seem to assume that everything is the sky and that their chute will work in the water? Swimmers didn't jump out of airplanes and then scream for help, skydivers jumped into the pool and them demanded the water be evaporated so their chutes would work.

Simple, obvious - what's the problem? How many metaphors can I use?

Science has never denied God in my mind, only said that it works only in empirically provable subject matter, which by definition cannot include God.

Empirically proving God kills faith.
Philosophically pondering science kills discovery.

For me, when religion tells me my scientific observations are false I respond by questioning RELIGION rather than the expected response of questioning science. The declaration I hear has NOT forced me to question the scientific method but rather has forced me to if anything abandon theological, dogmatic, psudo-logic. Further attempts to refine that the destruction of scientific principle at the expense of the 'truth' of theology are really only going to strengthen my desire for more scientific proof at the expense of trust in theology of any kind. As I go through life, my experience tells me its the theologians that don't get it. I believe in God, but the theological bombardment just convinces me more and more to discard religion - whatever the form. Is that your goal?

Insanity - trying something over and over again, seeing it fail yet trying the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome. Hello - its not working - change your method or admit you are in fact insane.

The more you push, the more 'wrong' you look - cut your losses or cut your own throat so to speak What is the goal of theology? To destroy its own purpose or to strengthen the function of science? Sorry to inform you 'intelligent design' theologians, but you don't get any other choices - you are trying to do the convincing remember? Pick the lesser of the two 'evils' already. Or go ahead and stamp your feet at the idea that those are the only options - all that does is prove the point with more scientifically empirical evidence to back it up.

Leave the why to faith, leave the how to science. Bring them together outside of each other's classrooms. That used to be how things were done - for some reason, its only been an issue in recent years.

I notice the rise in political power of the ultra conservative right wing fundamentalist church overlaps perfectly with when science and religion have become and issue in schools. Correlation doesn't equal causality, but hmmmmm.......................

Answer 2

The Catholic Church does not take the stories of creation in the Bible literally. Catholics believe the book of Genesis tells religious truth and not necessarily historical fact.

The religious truth is that God created everything and declared all was good.

The Church supports science in the discovery of God's creation. At this time, the theory of evolution is the most logical scientific explanation. However tomorrow someone may come up with a better idea.

As long as we believe that God started the whole thing, both the Bible and modern science can live in harmony.

Finally, yes, Catholic schools teach science and Catholic colleges and universities do have science majors.

Here is a website for the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame: http://science.nd.edu/

With love in Christ.

Answer 3

No it does not go against Catholic belief, in fact it helps Catholic belief. The Vatican maintains a science academy, it owns an observatory in Arizona, amongst other places and it is a Catholic priest who discovered the Big Bang. Quite a number of scientific discoveries were by priests or monks (think Gregor Mendel). I have had several priests who were scientists. One of the most interesting was a metalurgist. It is Protestantism that is anti-science. Science is a way of understanding creation as such it is essential for all people, not just Catholics. If you believe in sola scriptura then science is a danger, if you do not, it is not.

Science books try to answer questions of "what," the Church and the bible try to answer questions of "so what." They look at different domains.

Answer 4

>>Do Catholic schools teach science? Isn't that going against their belief? Isn't that..like..hypocritical? And for that matter, do Catholic colleges/universities have science majors? Do they just pretend they believe in FACT (real science--evolution, etc.)?<<

You don't seem to be aware that the Church has been a huge patron of science, and that some of the greatest scientists have been not just Catholic, but Catholic priests. I have to wonder if YOUR school teaches science if you have never heard of Nicolaus Copernicus, Gregor Mendel, Louis Pasteur, Angelo Secchi, Georges Lemaitre, the Vatican Observatory, etc.

Answer 5

His Holiness John Paul II:

"new knowledge has led to the recognition of the theory of evolution as more than a hypothesis."

The Catholic Church got its fingers burned with Galileo (who almost got a lot more burned). It STILL rankles in the Vatican and they are very, very unlikely to make that mistake again. In general the Church has an excellent relationship with science and scientists. Scientists like Stephen Hawkings get invited to the Vatican for chats!

The Church's position is that "truth cannot contradict truth", that science and religion are not in anyway exclusive.

I think you've got "Catholic" mixed up with something else.

Answer 6

A person who accepts what fools say is also a fool.

There is no conflict between science and the Catholic faith.

The father of modern gentics was a Catholic monk. The chief sponsor of Copernicus was the catholic Church. The conflict between Galileo and the Catholic Church had more to do with politics and personal animosity than science.

Answer 7

My friend attended a catholic high school and not only was she taught science, but she was also taught about contraception and safe sex during health class as well.

There are very, VERY few colleges/universities who do not teach and support the scientific consensus on a variety of different issues. To be accredited, you have to. Students who attend the few who do not do not seem to have problems getting into other schools or furthering their education at other schools.

Answer 8

no all the science is still the same, i go to a catholic school, you would learn basically what you'd learn in a non-catholic school it's just that catholics would like to believe that the science like the world's creation in the bible is a metaphor or God's works, like he didn't physically make Earth and like adam and eve, he just made it happen. :)

Answer 9

Of course they do! In my school science is very highly encouraged and praised, Its not going against our beliefs because the Vatican has pretty much accepted evolution (its only the bible belt that is still against it) We have four science labs! Just because you're christian doesn't mean you can't learn about science either, they're not against each other!

Answer 10

Catholic schools teach evolution, yes.

In fact, a lot of very good schools are Catholic -- University of Chicago, Tulane, Notre Dame, etc.