RELIGION and SCIENCE

Modern science had its origins in the late Middle Ages, especially 
during the period called the Renaissance. Many of its discoveries 
brought it into conflict with the traditional beliefs held by the 
medieval church. The assertion by Galileo and others that the Earth 
was not the center of the universe outraged many church leaders, and 
Galileo was brought to trial for teaching unacceptable doctrines.

Conflicts between religion and science did not cease with the 
Renaissance. Today there are many religious people who condemn all 
teaching about the theory of evolution. They assert that the Biblical 
account of creation is literally true; therefore, evolution is 
unacceptable to them.

Opposition between religion and science arose from the mistaken notion 
that religion could present its doctrines as undisputed knowledge that 
would hold true for all time. The medieval church had incorporated 
into its system of belief certain ancient scientific assertions about 
the Earth and the heavens. As these assertions were slowly proved 
false, the church reacted because it had used ancient science to 
support its doctrine. In other words, it had attempted to use assumed 
facts of science to support belief. It feared, consequently, that if 
the facts were swept away, the belief would crumble. As it happened, 
religious resistance to science alienated many educated people. 

The church did not realize that real belief cannot be supported by 
evidence from science. Nor can belief be undone by scientific 
evidence. The sciences deal with what they can see, inspect, and 
experiment with. They can make no valid statements about the existence 
or nonexistence of a god, for instance, because such statements must 
be made without any available evidence. On the other hand, religion 
cannot pretend to invalidate the findings of scientists for fear that 
belief will be challenged. If the objects of faith are true and the 
objects of scientific discovery true as well, then the objects are 
equally true and cannot contradict each other.

The uneasiness between science and religion has not been limited to 
Christianity. Marxist communism of the 20th century has become a kind 
of religion. It has an all-embracing worldview, and it has a faith in 
the historical process for which no evidence exists. During Joseph 
Stalin's rule in the Soviet Union, scientific theories that seemed to 
contradict his version of Marxism were suppressed. Stalin's favorite 
scientist was Trofim Lysenko, a biologist and agronomist who supported 
theories on heredity completely at variance with the genetic 
principles developed by Gregor Mendel. Through Lysenko's influence
and under Stalin's insistence, all other approaches to biology
were outlawed. Some scientists who had previously taught Mendelian
genetics were forced to change their opinion and teach Lysenko's
version of biology.