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Science and Faith

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scienceBiology is a science that has living nature as her object of study. In that effort, biology is ‘nourished’ by insights from physics and chemistry, using mathematics and logic, touches upon geology and – as far as the human being is concerned, the human sciences.

All this is based upon certain philosophical principles like intelligibility of the natural order (the capacity of being understood by intelligent beings like the humans being), reliability of our perception through our senses and our intellect, the exactness of logical and mathematical thought, the existence of order in reality and of laws of nature. Biology therefore touches upon philosophy that also asks questions about the possible existence of a ‘supernatural’ order, that what transcends the visible and measurable reality (transcendence versus immanence). Like the question why there is ‘something’ rather than ‘nothing’. And what is the first cause of all there is. Or where order and finality in nature come from. Or the intelligibility of nature that reveals a ‘intelligent designer’.  In this way, one can come to the rational conclusion of the existence of God, the first cause that is in the same time the final cause of the natural order and has created the natural order ‘out of nothing’ (in physical terms).

Theology studies that what mankind has received as self-revelation of God and has ‘recorded’ in Holy Scripture and the judeo-christian tradition, for catholics more specifically in the ‘Tradition of the Church’, a Church moreover, that speaks doctrinally about these things and claims speaking ‘the truth’,  if it esteems necessary, infallible, in matters of faith and morals (not in scientific matters!)

Links

  • As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, we invite you ti visit a special page on the Pontifical Academy for Sciences, Voor zover het de Katholieke Kerk aangaat verwijzen we hier naar een speciale pagina van de de Pauselijke Academie voor Wetenschappen, established in the Vatican, in Rome.
  • You can also go to our age on theology (in the making).
  • Check out our posts on science and faith(in the making)
  • or our page on evolution and creation (in the making)
  • or our page on cosmology and faith (in the making)
  • More will follow…