Read

How Faith and Science Can Work Together

Creator:
Published:
January 8, 2024
January 13, 2020
Read how science and faith work hand in hand.|Read how science and faith work hand in hand.

I was a really opinionated teen – and like a lot of us, I thought I knew everything when I was 14.

So when my ninth grade biology class got to a section on evolution, I had some THOUGHTS.

I grew up Catholic, and while I received consistent faith formation, I clearly had a lot left to learn about theology and faith and what we believe. With my very limited theological understanding and all the fervor of a kid who thinks they know the world, I was ready for a fight when I discovered we’d be learning about evolution.

And then that fight in me dissipated after a simple statement from my biology teacher. She remarked on how some people might find the study of evolution controversial, and then explained that we weren’t about to examine the truth of creation. Those questions are about who created the world and for what purpose. Instead, she explained we’d be studying the scientific truths of biology. And those questions are about how the created world works.

In short, she was saying that even though faith and science are both ways to seek and perceive truth about our world, they answer different questions. Science allows us to search for a “how.” Faith allows us to search for a “Who.” And when she put it that way, well, there wasn’t much to fight about.

Things can be true in different ways. A simple math calculation can prove to me that 2+2=4. I can measure and quantify and prove that truth. But I also know that my mother loves me. I can’t prove that truth in the same way — I can’t measure or quantify that love — but I’m just as certain that it is true. And I’ve learned that I shouldn’t expect the tools of science to be able to describe both of these kinds of truths.

And so began a discovery that’s continued for me to this day. Contrary to the beliefs I held as a teenager, I’ve discovered that my appreciation for science in fact strengthens — and is strengthened by — my faith.

It’s an old belief, often held by scientists and faithful people alike, that faith and science must somehow conflict — that if you’re faithful, your belief comes at the expense and denial of science. Or, if you dedicate your life to the study of science and proclaim its goodness, you’re denying God.

In my own experience, learning how the world works through the study of chemistry, biology, and physics does not conflict with my faith — embracing these truths of the universe is part of it. If I believe that God created the world and all its inhabitants, then part of that belief is that God grounds the realities that allow it to exist. Science is simply a way of uncovering those natural laws.

Being a Catholic doesn’t mean I ascribe to some magical, unrealistic view that the universe was created with a sprinkling of pixie dust. It means I believe God is the source of all things in the universe, and that we can witness and study the mechanisms by which He created this world and the beings within it.

Knowing the chemical reactions that spark electricity doesn’t take away from the light that Christ brings to the world. Understanding the biological reality of how humans are formed and made doesn’t take away from the dignity of human life. In fact, understanding the intricacies of the world and all the moments and reactions that have to go just right for any of our lives to be possible gives me a greater appreciation and awe for the One who created the world this way.

Creators:
Molly Cruitt
Published:
January 8, 2024
January 13, 2020
On a related note...
St. Justin Martyr Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Justin Martyr Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

Making the Saints Come Alive through Modern Icons

Making the Saints Come Alive through Modern Icons

Grotto

3 Questions to Ask Before Getting Married

3 Questions to Ask Before Getting Married

Emily Mae Mentock

St. Katharine Drexel Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Katharine Drexel Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

St. Joseph of Cupertino Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. Joseph of Cupertino Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

St. André Bessette Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

St. André Bessette Spotify Playlist | #GrottoMusic

Grotto

A New Mindset for Times of Uncertainty

A New Mindset for Times of Uncertainty

Grotto Shares

What is Contemplative Prayer?

What is Contemplative Prayer?

Amanda Roberts

"In the Waters of Lourdes"

"In the Waters of Lourdes"

Josie Kuhlman

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 11: Coming Forth with Father James Martin

Jesus' Favorite Podcast EP 11: Coming Forth with Father James Martin

Grotto, Ebony Moxey, Javi Zubizarreta

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

What I Learned From Burying My Pet Ferret

Eric Clayton

Bone Voyage: A Relic's Journey

Bone Voyage: A Relic's Journey

Grotto

This Twitter Feed is the Most Peaceful Place on the Internet

This Twitter Feed is the Most Peaceful Place on the Internet

Mike Jordan Laskey

Jesus’ Favorite Podcast EP 2: Casting Out Demons with Father Vincent Lampert

Jesus’ Favorite Podcast EP 2: Casting Out Demons with Father Vincent Lampert

Grotto, Ebony Moxey, Javi Zubizarreta

Why We Should Celebrate World Day of Peace With Pope Francis

Why We Should Celebrate World Day of Peace With Pope Francis

Caesar Montevecchio

"Return to Northwest Hudson"

"Return to Northwest Hudson"

Marty Moran

Is the Daily Grind Spreading You Thin? Here’s How to Slow Down

Is the Daily Grind Spreading You Thin? Here’s How to Slow Down

Emily Bouch

This Company Gives People a Second Chance at Life

This Company Gives People a Second Chance at Life

Grotto

How I Made Friends When I Came Back to Church

How I Made Friends When I Came Back to Church

Emily Mae Mentock

Almsgiving Reveals Something Sacred in All of Us

Almsgiving Reveals Something Sacred in All of Us

Lillie Rodgers

newsletter

We’d love to be pals.

Sign up for our newsletter, and we’ll meet you in your inbox each week.