By Michael Aidoo
22nd August, 2021

Is Science against Religion?

This 'war' between Religion and Science is not as trivial as it might look. One might say it's stupid to be abreast with Science and still hold to religious beliefs.

People tend to ask if Science and Religion can peacefully coexist. This concern is actually a presupposition that there's a rift between the two. Let's take a brief explanation of these two 'super-powers'.

Science is a system of knowledge that is concerned with the physical world and its phenomena and that entails unbiased observations and systematic experimentation. In general, a science involves a pursuit of knowledge covering general truths or the operations of fundamental laws.

Science can be divided into different branches based on the subject of study. The physical sciences study the inorganic world and comprise the fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry, and the Earth sciences. The biological sciences such as biology and medicine study the organic world of life and its processes. Social sciences like anthropology and economics study the social and cultural aspects of human behaviour.

The Science Council defines Science this way:

Science is the pursuit and application of knowledge and understanding of the natural and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.

Scientific methodology includes the following:

1. Objective observation
2. Evidence
3. Experiment and/or observation
4. Induction
5. Repetition
6. Critical analysis
7. Verification and testing

Religion on the other hand is defined as a set of organized beliefs, practices, and systems that most often relate to belief and worship of a controlling force such as a personal God or another supernatural being.

NB: Not all religions believe in a 'god' or a higher power.

For long time, Religion was seen as the 'sole repository of knowledge'. One would have to be religious to make any meaning of life and the universe. This was actually a false position for Religion to 'assume'.

Galileo Galilei pioneered the experimental scientific method and was the first to use a refracting telescope to make important astronomical discoveries. He is often referred to as the “father of modern astronomy” and the “father of modern physics”. Albert Einstein called Galileo the “father of modern science.”

Galileo Galilei, a devout Catholic who believed that his discoveries of the true nature of the universe were only a revelation of God's work. He also believed “the language of God is mathematics,” and the Universe was best understood through mathematics.

Could it be coincidental that Galileo Galilei happened to be a Christian? Could there be a correlation between his faith in God and his ground breaking achievements in the field of Science?

By one estimate made by Weijia Zhang from Arizona State University and Robert G. Fuller from University of Nebraska–Lincoln, between 1901 to 1990, 60% of Physics Nobel prize winners had Christian backgrounds.

In an estimate by Baruch Shalev, between 1901 and 2000, about 65.3% of Physics Nobel prize winners were either Christians or had a Christian background.

In another estimate by Baruch Shalev, between 1901 and 2000, about 72.5% of Chemistry Nobel prize winners were either Christians or had a Christian background.

Furthermore, an estimate by Baruch Shalev, between 1901 and 2000, about 62% of Medicine Nobel prize winners were either Christians or had a Christian background.

Note that these estimates are for just Christians (just 1 out of the many world religions).

It's evident that this narrative, "Science eliminates Religion" or "Science is against Religion" is just a false narrative carried around by people with reasons best known to them.


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