Education - Creating A Bridge Between Faith And Science

Proverbs 25:2(The Message) - God delights in concealing things; scientists delight in discovering things.

It's time for a ceasefire in The war between Faith and Science! Fortunately, this ageless battle between "logic" and "belief" might be losing a little steam among the scientific community. Here's the latest.

Last weekend, from February 16-20th The American Association for the Advancement of Science held it's annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada. On Saturday, February 18, 2012: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM was a very interesting symposium entitled "Beyond Evolution: Religious Questions in Science Classrooms." It was led by Kenneth R. Miller of Brown University, Peter M. J. Hess of National Center for Science Education and Francis Q. Eberle of National Science Teachers Association.

Here's what Kenneth Miller had to say in his abstract;

Kenneth R. Miller , Brown University, Providence, RI

Recent studies indicate that as many as 75% of all college students share a belief in God. While fewer claim to attend religious services regularly, the beliefs of these students clearly affect many aspects of their daily lives, including the way in which they will approach university courses in the sciences. A number of specific scientific concepts, including cosmic expansion, geologic history, biological evolution, social psychology, and cognitive neuroscience routinely meet strong resistance from students of faith, and present a distinct challenge for instructors

I will review a number of these conflicts, and will suggest specific strategies for dealing with student concerns, with special emphasis on developing a thorough student understanding of evolutionary biology. Emphasizing science as a process enables students to see scientific ideas as the product of rational, fact-driven inquiry rather than doctrine, and this can be essential in developing an acceptance of established science. Pointing out the historical role of religious institutions in the establishment of western science is another, as is describing the role that people of faith have played in key scientific developments. If properly presented, science need not be compromised or soft-pedaled to accommodate religious concerns. Rather, students can be shown how an acceptance of the scientific approach is essential to develop a rational understanding of nature, even in a religious context.

According to the article; "Education can solve religion-science conflicts: scientist" from The Associated Free Press the symposium was a success. It was published on Tuesday in Yahoo News. This is a great sign. Instead of bickering back and forth about our differences why not find out how we complement each other?

From Faith Science;

The common misperception that there is always conflict between science and faith can be abused by those with anti-Christian or anti-science agendas. In reality science has always been the domain of many committed Christians such as the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who dedicated one of his papers with a prayer, saying, I have here completed the work of my calling, with as much intellectual strength as you have granted me. This same attitude is shared by many Christians who work in science today. CiS exists to support such Christians and their aims.
—Christians in Science (CiS), Why Christians in Science

With so much available public information and abundant resources connecting faith and science, those who choose to reject the connection really are on their own. The conflict between science and Christianity has been contrived in the minds of those who want a conflict to exist. It has never been about logic or reason, like most atheists or secular “Christians” propose. It’s about the selfish human desire to oppose God and create one’s own destiny which, in actuality, defies logic. I’ll close this chapter with the following quote: “I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use” (Galileo Galilei: 1564–1642 Italian physicist).