clearscreen

Interesting reading:

http://www.grisda.org/resources/dialogue_0708.htm

Also check out some of the scientist's links at the bottom if you're interested.

Gooch's dad

Of course a scientist can be a Christian. It's an interesting article, but I take issue with the idea that:

That's utter nonsense. As is this:

Where do you get "predictable, reliable, and governed by laws" from the Christian scriptures?

It could just as easily be argued that it is futile to try to figure out the "laws of nature" if the God of the universe has the propensity for interfering in the actions of the universe (i.e. "miracles").

But a great number of scientists are *liberal* Christians, I see no conflict there.

Volker

One of the biggest advantages of science is, that it is self-correcting. You can start from totally wrong assumptions and by eleminating the errors arrive at better conclusions. That's the same way that evolution works, by the way.

So you can develop science in spite of the fact that christians got most of the evidences wrong. The process, of course, would have been much faster if we started with greek philosophy. And guess what? Science started to get of the grounds when christians began to import some aspects of greek philosophy like the ideas of Aristotle.

Family Man

That the early Christian scientists came to believe this is true. But did they believe this because that's what the church taught, or because that's what they observed and then ascribed to their gods. Given the very arbitrary nature of the OT god (hey, I think I'll flood the earth and kill everybody) the latter seems far more likely.

Barcode

I don't see why a Christian can't be a scientist. Clearly, some are ... how they rationalize certain things is a mystery to me; but the two ideologies are not mutually exclusive.

Although I think it's a little silly to cite examples from hundreds of years ago -- almost *everyone* was a Christian, and to have been outspoken about some things may have resulted in death.

Somebody I know of who is an engineer for Boeing, somehow gets around it by saying his beliefs occupy one part of his brain, and his job another.

In his mind the two don't come into conflict; I suspect I'd find it a little more difficult to reconcile. Still, each to his own as they say.

Tickfast

A lot of scientists believe in God...they just don't take Him to work.

Aravnah Ornan

It appears that scientists can be Christians. When I studied plasma physics at the graduate level, I knew plenty of scientists who were Christians. How they manage it is another matter.

But this quote troubles me: The underpinnings of a lot of modern science developed in a culture with a Muslim worldview.

Hedshaker

I think that hits nail one the head. How they do it though I have no idea. Science in the week and church on a Sunday

Heathen Dawn

Yes, a scientist can be a Christian. By ignoring the implications of the observations of the natural world, he can do science and stay a Christian (all other interventionist theists apply equally).

Say what you like about science-religion compatibility—my atheism came as soon as I accepted evolution.

HaysooChreesto!

And don't forget those pesky Chinese and Egyptians either. Gun powder, mathematics, architecture, and massive construction.