Is Science and Faith Compatible?

“What is faith?” asked a Sunday School teacher. A young boy answered in a flash, “Believing something you know isn’t true.” There is little doubt that many non-Christians define faith that way. The tragedy is that many believers either overtly or secretly hold to this view as well.

In today’s modern society, many equate faith with intellectual suicide. They see a clear conflict between “science” and “faith.” This perceived contradiction has led to all sorts of criticism, especially from the scientific community. For instance, Carl Sagan, well-known author and past professor of astronomy at Cornell University was very public in his critizism of the term "faith".  His premise is clearly understood in the following quote from him, “The cosmos is all that is, or ever was or ever will be…Whatever significance we humans have is that which we make ourselves…. If we must worship a power greater than ourselves, does it not make sense to worship the sun and the stars?”

In the movie entitled "Contact", Carl Sagan and the producers of the film attempt to show that faith is irrational. They directly assert and repeatedly illustrate the conflict between faith and science. They point out that faith is unable to be reconciled with science because it is subjective, emotional, unverifiable, and experience-based. For many “religious” people this is entirely true. But is this description a fair definition of Biblical Christianity? If not, how can we help our questioning friends and family understand the difference? Consider discussing the following points with them.

1. Point out that truth can be identified apart from the scientific method.
(Can we conclude that anything is true apart from the scientific method?)
In our society today truth is arrived at through two methods. The scientific method seeks to validate evidence “beyond a shadow of doubt.” Through the use of observable, measurable, and repeatable experimentation, evidence can be gathered, allowing scientists to draw certain conclusions. We call those conclusions true because they describe reality. The second method of arriving at truth is called the legal or historical method. This method seeks to validate evidence “beyond a reasonable doubt”. Through the use of oral testimony, written testimony, and exhibits (such as a gun, bullet, DNA testing), evidence is gathered and conclusions are drawn. As a society, we call these conclusions true based on the evidence presented.

Without the legal-historical method of arriving at truth, we would be unable to come to any conclusions about guilt or innocence in our courts, about the reality of historical events and people, about the commitments found in loving relationships, or about our purpose or meaning in our society, in our family, or in life generally. As one writer put it, “Science can give us the ‘know-how,’ but it cannot give us the ‘know-why’.” Relating this to religion, Albert Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame.” In other words, we would be denying a whole world of truth if we limited ourselves to only the scientific method.

2. Point out the difference between blind faith and Biblical faith.
(Do you see any difference between blind faith and Biblical faith?)
“What is faith?” asked the Sunday School teacher. The young boy should have answered, “A decision someone makes to trust someone or something based on evidence.” Blind faith, on the other hand, is deciding to trust based on no evidence. The Bible never asks us to make any decision in a vacuum. It never tells us to stop thinking. Rather, God encourages us to make decisions to trust Him based on either direct or indirect evidence. He uses testimonies of eyewitnesses recorded in written form and validated through exhibits such as signs and wonders (Judges 6:36-40). Biblical faith is “Making a decision to trust God based on evidence (either direct or indirect revelation).” There are three elements to Biblical faith:

1. Faith includes KNOWLEDGE = Knowing the data
2. Faith includes ASSENT = Agreeing with the data
3. Faith includes TRUST = Entrusting ourselves to the data


These three elements which comprise faith may be seen in a person who stands by a boat upon a little island which a river is threatening to submerge. He first regards the boat from a purely intellectual view - it actually is a boat (knowledge). As the river rises, he looks at it, secondly, in evaluation - the conviction grows (assent) in him that it is a good and sound boat that could save him. Thirdly, when he feels that the rushing river will surely sweep him away, a volitional element is added - he gets into the boat and entrusts himself to it (trust), accepting it as his present and only means of safety. This man has exercised faith as the Bible would define it. He has not divorced himself from sound thinking and is not exercising blind faith.


3. Point out that the object of faith is the pivotal issue.
(Is it important to put your faith in something that you’re confident is true?)
Have you ever heard someone say, “It doesn’t really matter what you believe in as long as you believe in something”? As Christians we know that the object of our faith is ultimately important. Reason alone leads us to place a lot of significance on the object of our faith. For example, suppose you are heading across the country on a 747 jetliner. As you are loading, you notice a large six-foot crack in the left wing. You mention it to the attendant and she says that they are aware of it. “Don’t worry - just relax and trust us on this one,” she says. Is the object of our trust (or faith) pivotal, or is simply believing the flight attendant good enough?

To believe or have faith in something you know isn’t true is NOT Biblical faith; it’s stupidity. To believe or have faith in something or someone you know NOTHING about (blind faith) is, at best, hoping and wishing and, at worst, assumption. But to believe in something or someone based on careful inspection, reviewing the historical evidence and reasoned conclusions based on physical evidence, is totally rational and Biblical.

Don’t Hit the Panic Button
Many Christians panic when confronted by those who have rejected Christianity because of so-called scientific reasons. Often the issue is not the scientific data itself but the misinformation about what it means to have Biblical faith. Relax and realize that God is calling you and also everyone else to use their reason to look at the historical and physical evidence and to make a decision of faith. Each of us will one day stand before God and He will ask us, “What did you do with the evidence I gave you?” How will you answer Him on that day?