Science vs. Religion: Battle to the Death
I am unashamed to admit: I’m a bit of a science nerd. Some of my earliest memories involve playing with electrical currents or setting things on fire. Thanks to an exceptional biology teacher, I had some wonderful hands-on experiences with plant cells and DNA.
As I explored these fascinating subjects, I became interested in the way that science fits into Church doctrine. Theology and developing branches of science have historically conflicted in dramatic ways, from the first heliocentric models of the Solar System inciting fury in the churches of the time to conflicting modern theories of evolution and creationism.
As science evolves, LDS doctrines remain the same. It’s not always easy to reconcile the seemingly conflicting ideologies, but science and religion are less disparate than they may seem at first glance.
Heavenly Father invented science. If we approach developing scientific theories from the perspective of religion, the pieces begin to fall into place. We cannot disprove the existence of God using scientific principles that He gave to us.
The Church is distinguished by its acceptance of ongoing revelation and the view that divine revelation underlies its scriptures and teachings. Consequently, Latter-day Saints assume that ultimate truths about religious matters and about God’s creations can never be in conflict, as God is the author of both. –Science and Religion, Erich Paul
In many ways, scientific and theologic principles work hand in hand. Even the sensitive topic of evolution, the “heliocentric solar system” issue of modern times, can potentially be reconciled. After all, who is to say that humans can’t have descended from apes while Adam and Eve are still truly the first humans? If a quirk of DNA was indeed how humans were created, why does that invalidate the idea that someone must have been the first human to exhibit our genotype?
The scientific evidence for evolution is overwhelming. The fossil record, evidence such as the vestigial hip bones of whales, and simple common sense tells us that species undergo evolution on a universal scale. Ever since humans learned to control the environment to suit our needs rather than adapting to our situation, we have ceased to adapt on a genetic level. But that doesn’t mean God wasn’t hard at work thousands of years ago in humanity’s youth, subjecting us to genetic drift and natural selection to turn us into the creatures we recognize as humans today.
It’s not likely that we will receive direct revelation to clear up the seeming inconsistencies between LDS doctrine and popular scientific theories. If we simply are given all the answers, then faith is invalidated. Conflicting religious and scientific ideologies are a divine test: a way of helping us to exercise our faith in the face of doubt.
What does that mean to Latter-day Saints? First, we know scientific understanding will keep changing. After all, science is all about trying to find better ways to understand the “hows” of the world around us. Knowing that, we don’t need to look to the latest study to understand the “whys” or “shoulds” of life. We can depend on the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ to help us make decisions between right and wrong. -Alicia K. Stanton, 2016
In the end, our understanding of science—and, indeed, our understanding of God—will most likely remain incomplete until the Millennium. The only thing we can do is prevent our hang-ups on one side from limiting our understanding of the other.
Also, we can pray to prevent a sci-fi robot apocalypse.
