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RELIGION: Do some people live strictly by objective scientific truth and others by “blind faith?”

 

There are plenty of realms where science simply cannot provide certainty or proof. For example:

  1. Science cannot prove the veracity of mathematics or logic. (It actually presupposes them!)
  2. Science can’t confirm metaphysical truths, such as “Minds other than my own mind do exist.”
  3. Likewise, science is unable to affirm or deny truth in the areas of morality or ethics. For example, science cannot prove that the Nazi regime was evil.
  4. Science is not capable of establishing the certainty of aesthetic propositions, like “The sunrise was beautiful today.”
  5. No scientific formula exists that can prove beauty.
  6. And finally, science is unable to prove or disprove philosophical claims, like “Science is the only source of objective truth.” 

 

Science is useful in establishing many truths, but it can by no means verify everything. Where certainty cannot be established, faith has always been required—and all of life has its uncertainties. Does the one you care for love you back with equal devotion? You may believe—based on their words and actions—that they do, but you will never be able to empirically prove their level of devotion beyond all doubt.

 

It’s just not true that some live their lives entirely by faith and others entirely by “scientific” proof. Even a scientist must take it on faith that matter will keep behaving in the future as it has in the past—because it is not humanly possible to test (and therefore confirm) every present and future instance of that behavior.

 

  • Jude 1:20-22 “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit,keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt.”

 

And, as our video demonstrates, even historical phenomena that are widely accepted to have occurred based on scientific evidence, are actually still doubted by some. Bottom line: The scientific method is one way of “knowing,” and is really good at explaining or proving some things. But not all things.

 

Episode Excerpt

I like talking with my friends, exploring our doubts together. It’s part of taking ownership of our own beliefs. Last night, I kept wondering, do some people live by faith, and other people by facts? Or maybe it’s like, there’s a gap between what we can possibly know, and what we can’t…and what we do in that gap is real faith.” 

 

Additional Resources to Explore

 

>>Go to the Doubt episode