Science and faith are not only symbiotic, but inseparable. Religion and science fuel people to seek truth; truth can be found in religion and science. Both can work together to promote faith and truth.
Award-winning chemist Henry Eyring once said, “Some have asked me ‘Is there any conflict between science and religion?’ There is no conflict in the mind of God, but often there is conflict in the minds of men.”
Photo by Johnny Linder.
Science and religion often seem to be at odds with each other; however, according to Eyring and others, it doesn’t have to be that way. Eyring states that “through the eternities, we are going to get closer and closer to understanding the mind of God, then the conflicts will disappear.”
In addition to Eyring, other scientists echo those feelings. In an interview with Mormon Channel, NASA rocket scientist David Oh said, “I find that science strengthens my faith; it doesn’t weaken it. God is all around us, and faith and science are really two sides of the same coin, which is to search for truth.”
Searching for truth is the commonality between science and religion. We are promised in the scriptures that if we will show our faith, we will see the truth. In Alma chapter 32:41–43 we learn that if we experiment upon the word of God, it will enlarge our understanding and expand our minds.
One such experiment is simply asking questions. Asking questions is absolutely essential for us to learn, to grow, and to understand the world around us: physically and spiritually. According to Oh, “Science teaches [us] to think critically and also not to be afraid of questions.” Questions help us improve, and improvement is essential for a happy, successful existence.
Just as our physical bodies and our spiritual selves are inseparable, science and religion together help us to understand the world we live in and to become more like God.
Listen to the full interview with David Oh.
Source: Mormon Channel
—Robbyn Merrell, Mormon Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY GERD ALTMANN
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Read more about Henry Eyring’s beliefs about faith and science in his book Faith of a Scientist.
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