Is Christianity Opposed to the Pursuit of Science? (Part I)

Continuing the discussion on Christianity and science, it's time to take a look at claims that Christianity is just opposed to the advancement of knowledge via science. This was the first complaint on our list of a few days ago.

The claim comes in many forms. One common one in the media today is that Christians are opposed to embryonic stem cell research (ESCR). ESCR is science; ergo, Christians are opposed to science. There's a long tradition of other complaints preceding this one, however. The great scientist Galileo was persecuted by the church for researching the shapes and motions of the heavenly bodies. The church vilified Copernicus for moving mankind out of the center of the knowledge where God had put him. Being stuck in the dogmatism of the past, the church continually does what it can to impede the forward movement of science. We believed in a flat earth before Columbus, now we believe in Intelligent Design. It's all the same thing over and over again.

The first of these, embryonic stem cell research (ESCR), is easily answered. To repeat:

(P1) Christians are opposed to ESCR
(P2) ESCR is science
(C1) Therefore, Christians are opposed to science.

But (P2) is woefully incomplete. Yes, ESCR is science, but we believe ESCR also involves the taking of human lives. That's admittedly a controversial statement; not everyone believes an embryo has the status of human life. Yet Christians remain widely opposed to the taking of life that may be considered human, while the status of that life is even somewhat arguable. If there is reason to believe such life may have the status of real humanity, morality demands that we protect it. To do otherwise runs the very real risk that we are committing murder of the worst kind, murder of the innocent and defenseless.

The relevant argument thus is:

(P3) Christians are opposed to the taking of innocent, defenseless human life
(P4) There is reason to believe that ESCR may involve the taking of real human life
(C2) Therefore Christians are opposed to ESCR

Christians' views of science don't enter into this at any point. It's not the issue. You can disagree with whether we have an accurate view of human embryos, you can disagree with whether ESCR involves murder. But you have to acknowledge that the reason Christians are opposed to it is not because we are opposed to science. Let's at least settle that issue; it's an easy one, after all.

I think I should break this off here and come back to the Galileo/Copernicus/flat earth issue in another post; otherwise the discussion will get all tangled up. It will follow this one as soon as I can get it written.

Posts in This Series:

1. Christianity and Science
2. Is Christianity Opposed to the Pursuit of Science? (Part I)
3. Is Christianity Opposed to the Pursuit of Science? (Part II)

Posted: Fri - December 8, 2006 at 08:10 AM |

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Is Christianity Opposed to the Pursuit of Science? (Part I)

Thinking Christian by Tom Gilson