Christan Faith and Science: Similarities and Differences

Introduction

This article wii put you through in understanding the similarities and differences between Christian faith and science.

What is faith? Faith can be defined as trust in somebody’s ability or knowledge (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary, 6th Edition). The Christian Faith is the trust in one God. God is believed to be the maker of the earth. In the other hand, it can be strong religious believe. It is hoping that positive result will come out at the end of any activity or project. Science according to Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary is knowledge about the structure and behavior of the natural and physical world, based on the fact you can prove, for example by experiment. It does not support abstract things. Today, man cannot do much without Science. Life is made easier today because of Science.

There are many similarities between Science and Faith. On the contrary, there are disagreements between the two. Science has made the spread of the Faith go a long way and sometimes challenges the Faith. In this text, recommendations are made to Science with respect to the Christian Faith. Science is advised to adhere to these in order to strike a balanced.

Some people take Science as a serious enemy to Faith. This is not so because there are some agreements between them. If there is no Faith; there is no Science.

Saint Paul wrote in his letter to the Philippians: I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). Today, many discoveries have been made by the scientists because they have Faith. These discoveries have helped us in our existence. People can hear the voices of one another no matter the distance and watch good movies because of Science. Without holding strongly on the Bible quotation above, Science would not have transformed the world. Science believes and that is why it continues to develop the world through technology. Alexander Graham Bell who discovered telephone was able to do it because he had faith in himself. When he was thinking of how to manufacture the telephone, his classmates were laughing at him. They said that what Graham Bell was thinking is not possible to obtain. Bell still had faith and today telephone is used in various parts of the world, making what he dreamed to come through by faith. Without faith, Alexander Graham Bell would have not invented telephone in 1876 at the age of 29.

Gospel has reached different parts of the world today because of Science. Massages on the importance of being a believer is being passed through the internet. The Internet offers both great benefits to the Christians in many ways. I receive gospel messages direct into my email address inbox from website owned by Christian organization. Microphones discovered by scientist are used in spreading the gospel as well. Could you imagine how it will be in a church congregation of about 1000 receiving the Sunday sermon without microphone or voice magnifying device? The congregation will not hear the sermon when the microphone or megaphone is not used. David Edward Hughes was able to invent the improved microphone because he had faith that he can make a change. Today, hardly can the Church do without microphones.

Science accomplishes God’s Word. The Gospel of Mathew chapter 6 verse 11 is written as: “give us this day our daily bread”. Science makes this to be accomplished because many Christians earn their living through the technological development by the Science. Science made many Christians who are drivers to make their living through their transport businesses. It makes many who sell their goods or render services through the internet to make money. With the money they make, they get the food they need in their everyday life. Science has also provided food for the masses through food preservation. It preserves food when there are surplus in order to use them during the time of their scarcity. The food is preserved with the chemicals manufactured by the Scientists.

The Disagreement between Faith and Science

There are loggerheads between faith and Science. Science engages and adopts some attitudes which the Christians Faith does not accept. These disagreements are discussed under the following headings:

• Premarital sex: Science medical doctors encourage sex before marriage. They say that engaging in premarital sex will make the people to be healthier. Some of these doctors admit that this kind of life style will enhance more sperm production. This is one of the reasons that make many youths fornicate. They hold on this and break the commandment of God. On the contrary, Faith does not permit that kind of lifestyle.

• Science believes on proof: The word called 'miracle' does not apply in the field of Science. It believes that to have a product, there must be reaction between the reactants. To Science, that a woman who was suffering from cancer became healed miraculously is a cock and bull story. Science sees that as a 'pure' tall story. What you should tell Science is: “the woman took drug and became okay”. That is what Science understands and accepts.

• Science promotes sins: Social media has led the faithful astray. It is hard to log in to Face book, Twitter and the likes without seeing offensive images. The images and videos found in the internet contradict the faith. The videos and images I am talking about are the pornography. In some cases, these eyesores lead the faithful into masturbation and fornication. The most common negative effects were that pornography led consumers to objectify people; caused them to have unrealistic sexual expectations; caused relationship problems; caused loss of interest in sex; and led to addiction. The sin of immorality increased since the emergence of the internet. People embrace immoral lifestyles as if they will die of they do not commit it.

• Resurrection: Science says that everything ends in this world. The Christian Faith believes strongly that when one dies on this earth, he will still resurrect. He will then be judge by God to see if he will gain heaven or hell. This belief to science is like saying that a strong man can drink the whole water in Atlantic Ocean alone within a second. Science believes that everything starts and ends on this earth. This unbelief in life after death by Science has cause a lot of arguments between the two. Christian Faith believes in heaven and hell while Science does not. According to the Faith, heaven is a place prepared for those who did what were right when they were still in the world (before their death). The hell is a place prepared for those who did wrong things when they were alive and did not repent before they died. It is believed to be a place full of sufferings.

Recommendations to Science

Science should learn the fact that everything does not solely depend on practical experiments. There are many green plants in this world. The question is: does science mix some chemicals to produce them?

When there was nothing like sex before marriage, people were living healthier. Doctors should stop contradicting the Faith with what they taught and call it scientific proof.

Those that manufacture pornographic pictures and videos should be restricted. Science should protect the Faith by producing software or applications that will stop the showcase of adult materials.

Conclusion

Science and Faith are like friends. The two are like enemies depending on the angle of perception. Science should adhere to the recommendations to maintain balance and morality.

References

1. St. Paul’s Epistle, Holy Bible (King James Version, Red Letter Edition), p. 183, Hilson Publishers and Distributors Limited;
2. The Catholic Bishops of the United States, 2007, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship: A Call to Political Responsibility (revised edition), p.22, Msgr. Ronny E. Jenkins and JCD General Secretary;
3. McKee, Alan (2007), Australian Journal of Communication 34(1):pp. 87-104., 2.