for and against

[groovy chick]

Is it right for one person to be a scientist and christian

[mattfox]

Absolutely ... last issue of BBC Focus magazine had a survey like this and more than 50% of scientists also have a religious belief. Who's to say that religion can't be explained by science and so the two have to be considered separately?!

[mimififi]

My husband is a scientist and a christian, so is my father, so is my brother.

Why would it not be????

[mimififi]

so is my friend's husband, in fact I know loads.....

[Cetti]

Yes, it works together quite happily and not in conflict. In fact these people were almost the founding fathers of science and they thought it ok - Michael Faraday, Isaac Newton, Galileo, Nicholas Copernicus and Johanne Kepler. Here's a few more http://www.creationsafaris.com/wgcs_toc.htm

[Drusilla]

Sir Isaac Newton, arguably England's most famous scientist was both and the more he studied science the more religious he became. (But he was a weird so and so)

[Cetti]

The WW2 rocket engineer and NASA scientist Von Braun became a christian through reading the Gideon bible. An unlikely candidate? Only in our eyes.

[jake-the-peg]

You are asking the question too specifically - why Christian? why not Moslem or Buddhist?

All religions have a basic fundamental theme

"You're scared of death, that's OK, do what we say and you'll live forever"

It's a powerful promise and has seduced some fine minds.

But Science is about challenging belief through observation and religion is about faith and obedience.

The two are fundamentally incompatible.

I know of no religion that encourages it's followers to challenge and test what it says.

Why do you think that is so?

[Clanad]

Then, jake, you haven't done your homework... both the Old and New Covenants admonish believers to test the veracity of the Scripture. There are many, many verses that are devoted to exactly that... a small sampling includes:

Acts 15:10
Acts 17:11
I Corinthians 15
I Thessalonians 5:21
John 5:39
I John 1:1
II Peter 1:16-21
Isaiah 1:18
Proverbs 28:26

And many more. Science and the bible are not mutually exclusive of one another, once properly understood. The Bible is more of a Book of Why and Science is a study of How. But, it's important to understand, that where the Bible does talk about How, it is not in error. It may not contain the detail you desire, but the information is there, nonetheless... Science, on the other hand, as valuable as it is, never talks about Why. In my opinion, if I had to choose one over the other (gladly, I don't) I would like to know Why... you, and others would choose How... so be it. I don't denigrate the focus of your search, why do you belittle mine? By the way, I have absolutely no fear of death... I fear no man (and only one woman, but I've learned the secret of keeping that one happy!))

[jake-the-peg]

Gosh Clanad I wonder then why Galileo was imprisoned and threatened with torture for questioning the church?

[Clanad]

Unfortunately, jake, you continue to tack along the same course... that of interpolating actions by individuals as indicative of the underlying foundations of the system. I'm sure, you must use the banking system... yet, has there been any more misused and misapplied system you can think of? The actions by those of the Roman Catholic Church or any other organization do not now, or have they ever, received the stamp of imprimatur from Scripture...

[jake-the-peg]

And you continue to try to seperate what organisations say from what they do.

To steal a line from Shakespear

"the devil can quote scripture for his own use"

I mean didn't many religous men justify slavery from 1 Timothy 6 - All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered.

We can only judge religions by what they do.

It wasn't the Roman Catholic Church that killed people at Salem for being "Witches."

The banking system accepts gay men and women as equal to straight

Can your church say the same?

[brionon]

Jake Give it up, some people will never learn to think for themselves. Why do you think christians refer to themselves as sheep ?

[Clanad]

Since you agree that religions should be judged by what they do, why not consider that the vast majority of the relief efforts of the recent hurricane disasters, the tsunami relief and countless other charitable efforts to help people in trouble are Christian based? In the U.S., many of the large hospitals providing free or reduced cost care are Christian based, most of the large universities in the U.S. were, originally at least, founded by Christian organizations. I find it curious, as you know I've stated before, that during any crisis involving humanitarian giving and volunteering, there is no list that includes Atheists United or some such... so who, exactly, isn't trying to live out their ideals?
History is replete with examples of avowed atheists who murdered and tortured millions of their own people, Stalin, Hitler, etc. Far more than any such deeds accomplished by those acting in the name of religion, I suspect.
And, yes, the believers in the Christ try follow His edict of "Loving your neighbor as yourself"...Oh, by the way, where is your written philosophy? I'd like to read it sometime...

You should know that slavery in history, including Roman times was a fact. However, Paul was clearly stating that by following his instructions, a slave's attitude would bring honor to Ha Shem. Paul always taught to be content in any situation. You should also know, that the effort to erradicate slavery, especially in England, was a Christian effort, led by William Wilberforce... In the U.S., the efforts to oppose slavery before the Civil War were all led, at great personal risk, by churches and pastors representing the Christ. I didn't find mention of even one atheist leading the charge, but I'm sure I just overlooked that fact.