“What side are you on – science or
faith?” That’s the most common comment we’ve heard
when talking to people about our church’s
involvement in Scientists in Congregations. There appears to be a general
belief from the public that science and faith are at odds with one other.
Overwhelming, we’ve found that once someone hears
that we’re discussing science and faith together as a both/and
proposition, the response is always something like “It’s about
time” or “I’ve always
thought so but was afraid to say it.” Our goal
has not been to compartmentalize science apart from faith, or faith apart from
science, but to integrate them together. We’ve
discovered that there’s an incredible interest in the
discussion--both from scientists and non-scientists alike.
Guest Post By: Ruth Wahl
United Presbyterian Church
Randolph, NY
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ReplyDeleteAs a scientist, I agree with integration.
ReplyDeleteBut is it not very likely that, with true integration, BOTH sides are going to be changed? It is extremely unlikely to be accommodation only on one side.
In that case, is the scientific community going to accept changes arising from considerations of spirituality and religion? Or are they going to fight back?
I think you're right--the conversation between scientists and theologians tends to go in one direction. But there have been some notable exceptions. For example, the physicist and theologian Robert John Russell has just published a very thoughtful book that uses Pannenberg's theology to make some claims about the proper interpretation of relativity.
DeleteGreg Cootsona
Do you think it might be possible that religious people learn something about minds or spirituality or about the operations of God in the world, and that then science has to be adjusted to take into account the new kind of observations and evidence then produced?
DeleteOr are many scientists going to fight back, and find a million-and-one reasons why the observations and evidence are "not compelling"?
(This is going beyond interpretation of science, and now dealing more directly with causes in the world!)