• Question: Do you think that being a strong Christian or another strong religion could have an effect on some conclusions you may come across as a scientist exploring new and wonderful things?

    Asked by GraceicaSmithica to Angeline, Catherine, Luke, Philip, Shona on 9 Mar 2015.
    • Photo: Angeline Burrell

      Angeline Burrell answered on 9 Mar 2015:

      I think that depends more on a person’s personality than their religion or faith. Everyone has a view of how the world works, and (most probably), none of us are right. So, when we come across new and wonderful things in science it can be hard to say, “Everything I thought was wrong!”

      Naturally my answers are influenced by my own story. I am a Christian and grew up believing that the world was created in 6 days (plus a day of rest, of course). One of the first astronomy experiments I got to do in university was measure the cosmic microwave background, which tell us a lot about the expansion and evolution of our universe. So, at that point I had to question my interpretation of the Bible. I think it was very helpful for me to learn early on that my perception of reality can be wrong. I’ve met a lot of older scientists who are unable to let go of their disproved theories, and I think it’s a bit of a shame.

    • Photo: Philip Moriarty

      Philip Moriarty answered on 10 Mar 2015:

      I am not at all religious but I know a number of religious scientists who do exceptional work. They are systematic, skeptical, and they search for evidence to support their conclusions.

      But I would argue that they do this *despite* their religion, not because of it.

      For me, there has always been a major disconnect between science and religion. At the absolute core of religion is faith and dogma. Those who are religious make a choice of following ‘their’ god on the basis of their particular faith. But science is, in essence, organised skepticism. Faith is anathema to the scientific method (and, indeed, to many other areas of life including the legal system).

      I was raised in a strong Catholic environment. I had to waste a lot of my childhood in church. One piece of the New Testament that really stuck with me is John 20:29 and the story of doubting Thomas.

      “Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

      How much more of an anti-science, pro-faith message could it be?! I remember feeling very scared as a nine-year-old child because what Thomas wanted to do (put his hand in the wound on Jesus’ side to convince himself that Jesus had indeed risen) was *exactly* what I would have wanted to do. “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence”.

    • Photo: Shona Whittam

      Shona Whittam answered on 11 Mar 2015:

      After I was asked on here about religion I asked all the physicists in my work and discovered 5 out of 8 of us are religious. I think being relious won’t change the scientific conclusions drawn in my field but might in other fields.

      The classic science vs religion debate is how the universe was created. But you can believe in the big bang theory and believe in god because you can believe that god caused the big bang.

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