Religion or Science - What do you believe?

Question

I'm having a few issues over belief. During most of my life I have followed Science as it answered most of the questions, now I am getting older it seems that to believe in religion you need blind faith in some areas, but the same is also true of science. Is the way forward to accept both science and religion into your lives? If so which religion? Christianity follow the bible which are a set of ideals written by people, whereas Islam follow the Koran which is supposedly the word of Allah (God).

Any comments and viewpoints greatly appreciated.

I understand Science is adapting all the time but it still leads to more questions. How did the big bang occur (no one can honestly say) the fact that if the universe expanded at a slightly different rate, the elements would not have formed, etc. These questions cannot be explained which is my issue.

Answer 1

Interesting that you would make a statement like that about the Bible. But since you obviously know about the two major books out there, that leaves us with science. I believe most what I read or see with science, especially when it's called fact. What I CAN'T agree with is evolution and the random chance of life existing. In fact, the more science declares the randomness of life, the more the Bible is proved true. Now, I just watched a History Channel special on planets. They have documented over 200 planets that are near us, and not one of them even have a circular orbit like ours. Even that, they are all extremes of an environment (fire, water so dense it compacts to "hot ice", bare rock orbiting around a pulsar). So if the Big Bang happened, where are all the other life giving planets? Why is ours the only one so far? Why is it so hard to find other planets, if life seems to be so easy to just randomly generate on this planet? You know what one scientist said on that show? She said it is literally chaos and confusion during the making of a solar system. Planets crashing into each other, into the sun...just chaos until the biggest and best of the planets finally start eating the smaller ones and all that is left is the extremes. So tell me how one blue marble in the infinity of space just HAPPENS to develop the precise combination of nitrogen and oxygen for life to exist, just HAPPENS to sit at exactly a 23.5 degree angle for equal distribution of the suns rays and just HAPPENS to have flowing water, the only planet in our solar system to do so, and so far the only planet in the universe that has land and water coexisting. How can scientists explain that one? Logic demands that Intelligent Design is fact, simply because of the impossibility of the odds presented in science.
Honestly, I'll believe anything that science gives me, within reason. What I won't believe is that there was no Creator behind the most complex being in the universe. Any science that conflicts with that is pulling your leg. Good luck with your search.

Answer 2

I guess i'm in a similar situation, although i'm protestant, btw i don't think the church does say that the earth is 6000 years old. In my experience most Christians accept the theory of evolution. Anyway, i know how you feel, I've been there - didn't really know whether I was a Christian or not because I wasn't entirely satisfied by Christianity and felt pretty cynical about it, but at the same time had seen and experienced things which I couldn't explain or ignore. I think the whole Adam and Eve thing is symbolic of how humans turned away from God. It would be pretty weird if the bible contained a scientific explanation of how the earth was created - the creation story does say stuff was created in the same order as evolution would have occured. e.g. plants, then animals, then humans etc. Also, I really hate the idea that most people on yahoo answers seem to have that religion and science are opposed.

Answer 3

Jesus the Christ said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE and no man comes to the Father except by Me."

Jesus knew we needed the TRUTH. Jesus knew we needed to know the WAY to the truth. Jesus knew we needed to know about LIFE.

When Christ made this statement, He answered the world's questions of today. So many times He said, FOLLOW ME.
Even science knows that we have a spiritual world also. The Lord put eternity in our hearts.

Every Word in the Bible KJV is inspired by Almighty God. He let man show their faults and their traditions and their ways as well as what He expects of man. Just because it is in the Bible doesn't mean that God condone it. God just wanted you to see the ways of man without God in their lives.

Science is fine, but very limited because man is limited.
God is great because God is not limited. If you need knowledge ask of God. He gives to those who are truly His.

Edit: It is clear that the Koran is written by an angel. God created the angels first. And I believe the Koran was written by Satan who knew God's plan better than any angel. On the High Priest's chest were 12 precious stones and the Koran speaks of opening the chest to get things done. Only an angel would speak like this.

Answer 4

You say the Bible was written by people but the Koran is "the word of Allah". The Bible is also supposedly the "word of God" so how is that different? Both books were written by people and their own ideas of how things should work, whether inspired by faith or not.
I can't tell you what to believe. All I can say is this: Does the Bible say anything about dinosaurs? And has science proved they existed? Christianity has a lot more "blind faith" areas than science does. I personally wouldn't want to follow a book of stories written by some men from hundreds of years ago as my life.

Answer 5

science is not perfect.. it doesnt explain everything, but it is self correcting. when a new hypothesis comes along it can be tested and falsified. If it is accepted, it will be accepted until something new comes along, which works better.

'Maybe' is an acceptable answer in science

Religion is based on faith. If something comes along which throws doubt on that faith it is not open to discussion, it is attacked and derided.

'Maybe' is never an acceptable answer in religion.
Maybe is equivalent to heresy and blasphemy

Science deals in facts, theories and ideas
religion deals in faith, pronouncements and dogma

they don't mix very well


{edit}
"understand Science is adapting all the time but it still leads to more questions. How did the big bang occur (no one can honestly say)"
True... no one can honestly say..... but we can ask the same question of the religious fraternity... where did god come from? you cant use a lack of knowledge to justify religion, or you're no different from the caveman who doesnt understand lightning, so he invents a thunder God.

" the fact that if the universe expanded at a slightly different rate, the elements would not have formed, etc. These questions cannot be explained which is my issue."

this is called the anthropic principle... it happened therefore we know about it... therefore it can happen

consider this... what are the chances of a person winning the lottery... something like 50 million to one
but, last saturday 'joe bloggs' won the lottery.
are the chances of winning the lottery astronomical? yes,
but we know that joe bloggs won the lottery, therefore - by the anthropic principle - we know that joe bloggs *can* win the lottery

Answer 6

Science is not a way to direct your life, is is a method to learn about the universe. Religion is essentially a man made institution that was an early form of social control and/or government.

While the two do not intersect or preclude the other, science does show that many of the events/miracles that religions claim to have happened didn't. Religions will often attack science when it contradicts religion's beliefs.

As for the differences in religions, both the Bible and the Koran are supposedly from a god, but they were both written by one or more men. The Koran claims that Jesus was a prophet which contradicts Jesus' claim to be the son of god. This, to me shows, that Koran is wrong as that means that Jesus made many false statements and would not be a prophet.

Answer 7

I have and will always accept science over religion. Granted science may not have all the answers but science does try to to some kind of creditable plausible understanding to they do not know.

Religion on the other hand will simply say god did it and the only source to back that claim up is the bible. What is even more silly is that there are many different versions of the bible that go along with the many different religions.

None of the religions have the right answer even though they claim they do as well as claim that their religion is right over the others one.

In short religion is nothing more than mythology, after all at one time everyone believed in RA, Zeus and the many other gods of that time.

Answer 8

I was very religious for 15 years & have recently decided that I no longer want to follow the bible as it is holding me back as a person. I know many people from other faiths who have the same problem..always trying to please God.
Science isnt the same as religon..its is constantly changing as it discovers new things.
No religon on earth changes...it can't there all bound up on some book..The bible..the Koran..ect.
The only simularity of science & religon is this...both are guilty of stating that their discoverys are fact...(you always get some dumb scientist stating he's found the missing link of evolution..& then a few years go by & the world discovers it was a fake!)
Religon does the same thing. (we are the only way towards God!! ect)

My friend the best advice I can give you is this...Pray to God but pack your own parashoot

Answer 9

Both religion and science require faith in some capacity. I believe in both, as long as whatever is being claimed by the religion or the science is consistent with the Bible.

God is the original quantum physicist. You might enjoy Rob Bell's website, or Ray Hughes'. They both do a lot to show how faith and science complement one another. They are Bible teachers with brains.

Answer 10

Well that' like asking a black or white question, and as everything in this world, this matter as well is all about balance.
Science explains facts of certain matter, and nature related.
Although it doesnt involve the spirituality side, we humans still have to discover.

For me personally, it gives no sense to follow the rules of a book written many years ago, based on uncertain facts I dont feel true inside of me.
That's why I say, that there is a fine line between being religious or a believer individual.
This last one, not only can see further, but also tries to dig further for the truth and not only easy answers.