Science

Science

What is science? What is science trying to do?

Many people decry science because it does not include God. This is especially true when speaking about how man got here. Many fundamentalist Christians want science to teach intelligent design.

Scientists try to explain the what, when, and how of the universe. How it got here, how it works, when did it get here, when will it end, what makes it work? They do not try to explain who made it, why it was made, or what its purpose is. These are questions better suited to religion and philosophy. Scientists recognize that it is not necessary to try to answer such questions.

If I were to explain the process of nailing a board to a tree I might talk about inertia and energy. Point out that the inertia of the hammer head is transfered, as energy, to the nail forcing the nail through the board and into the tree.

Notice that I did not say one thing about the person holding the hammer. Did I need to? Is your understanding incomplete because I did not mention the human being holding the hammer? No, if I had gotten into a detailed technical analysis it would not have affected your understanding of the process for me to point out the obvious.

When scientists speak of evolution, plate tectonics and other elements of science, it is not necessary for them to speak of God. Children learn about God in church and at home. In school they learn about what God did and how he did it. Science teachers do not have to specifically speak of God for them to know this.

In fact, to protect the sensibilities of those with different belief systems, teachers should not mention God. This is not the place to teach children about God. This is true even for a school with religious affiliations. Such schools should keep seperate courses that speak of how things were done--science, and courses about the architech and builder--God.

Science can learn a lot about our world. They can do it without mentioning the obvious--That God created the universe, that God created humans. Just like I can speak of hammering a nail into a board with out having to mention the human driving the nail.

Amen