Is it fair to speak of science vs. faith?

We hear a lot today about science clashing with religious faith. When it comes to particular issues like evolution vs. creation, we are told rational science is on one side while religious fanaticism is on the other. But that’s not really true.

Let’s start with what we mean by faith. For many people, faith is a leap in the dark, a disregard for the facts. There is a feeling that faith is something we generate in the midst of total despair with no hope. However, this is not the Bible’s definition. In the book of Hebrews, faith is defined as assurance for what we hope for. It might be better translated as “trust.” Christianity is a belief that urges its followers to examine the evidence before placing faith in it. Other religious systems simply ask their followers for faith without evidence. Think about the faith shown by early scientists in the Western world. It’s no accident that the most famous and successful scientists were Christians. They had faith that the world was rational and understandable, having been created by a God revealed in the Old and New Testaments to be rational and understandable.

Let’s now turn to the term “science.” It may seem pretty obvious what we mean, but there are actually two terms in play. First, we have the kind of science that we learned about in school – the search for knowledge via the scientific method, no matter where it led. However, now we have the philosophical definition, which says science must only deal with the material world. So, as an example, look at evolution. Those who believe in the second definition of science will say evolution is true because it’s the only possibility in a world restricted to material forces. It’s unfortunate that such thinking is employed because it puts science in a straitjacket, forcing its adherents to come up with answers already preordained. But that’s where we are today, so it is important that when we hear of science vs. faith today, we need to understand both definitions being used.