As Jesus foretold, Christianity has always been subject to criticism. He was scrutinized and His followers are not excluded from that scrutiny. It is becoming increasingly common in today’s media and pop culture for people to suggest Christians are undereducated, uninformed, and unintelligent. These modern stereotypes of Christians have little historical roots, and intentionally omits the many examples of brilliant Christians that have helped to mold the society live today. For example, Harry Hosier, who was an eloquent black preacher whose delivery was so compelling to that his anti-slavery preaching is documented as being a key factor in making many whites accept that a passive stance against slavery would not be enough to dismantle the institution.
History is riddled with thoughtful, educated, accomplished Christians. Not to mention, the millions of accomplished and knowledgeable believers sitting in the pews today. Despite those who criticize Christians, there are many scholars and intellectuals who believe that Christianity and science go well together such as Charles Townes, George Washington Carver, Sir Isaac Newton, Dr. Cornel West, and countless others.
Charles Townes
According to Charles Townes, a renown physicist and winner of Noble Prize in Physics, religion and science are parallel with each other. Some things can’t just simply be explained by science and the universe is actually unpredictable which is quite contradicting to what some of the philosophers believe. Science is all about understanding how the universe works and why it does what it does. When one has a deep understanding of the structure of the universe, then the purpose of man makes more sense and becomes clearer. Humans were created in the likeness of God and so humans are given free will, are independent, and can create things.
Charles Townes is a Protestant Christian and he believes in intelligent design, the idea that the universe is complicated because there is a guiding force that created it. He believes in creation and God’s continuing influence on the universe and in the lives of humans. The laws of God guide how the universe was built. When he came up with the maser, he believed that the inspiration for it was God. God helped him come up with the idea and it came just like a revelation in that is mentioned in the Bible.
George Washington Carver
"And then the Great Creator taught me how to take the peanut apart and put it together again..."
George Washington Carver is a scientist who discovered more than 300 uses of the peanut plant. He is also a Christian who proudly talked about the influence of his spiritual beliefs on his works of science despite criticisms from the media and from others. His belief in God makes him combine his faith and his science.
George Washington Carver would wake up early every day and walk alone among nature, among flowers and trees. He would talk to God through prayer and when he listens to God and hears his voice, he is then able to find different uses of various plants, vegetables, and other earthly creations. He believes that God speaks to us through nature.
Regarding his one encounter with God, George Washington Carver said, "Years ago, I went into my laboratory and said, 'Dear Mr. Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for?' "The great Creator answered, 'You want to know too much for that little mind of yours. Ask for something more your size.' "Then I asked, 'Dear Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for.' Again the great Creator replied, 'Little man, you still are asking too much. Cut down the extent of your request and improve the intent.' "So then I asked, 'Please, Mr. Creator, will you tell me why the peanut was made?' "’ That's better, but even then it's infinite. What do you want to know about the peanut?’" …"And then the Great Creator taught me how to take the peanut apart and put it together again. And out of this process have come forth all these products."
Sir Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton studied the early history of the Church while developing a scientific view on matter and motion in the 1600s. According to Newton, God is the masterful creator and His existence can’t be denied in the face of the grandeur of all creation. According to him, the law of gravity isn’t actually about the universe as a machine. Gravity is God’s active intervention to prevent stars from falling and to prevent the amount of motion in the universe from decaying because of friction and viscosity.
Newton spent a lot of time decoding hidden messages within the Bible. Newton seemed to wrestle with some doctrinal points of the faith, as do many of us, but was unwavering in his convictions regarding Jesus being the Christ, and the only Savior sent from the Father.
There is an endless debate about whether religion and science go together. There are some who believe that these two can’t coexist while a few thinkers believe that these two go hand in hand. In the end, we must recognize the myth that Christians are usually undereducated, uninformed, and unintelligent is a modern-day fabrication. We have too many examples that prove otherwise. Christianity knows no age, intelligence, race, etc. A person’s spiritual belief isn’t based on his/her status. It all depends on what each individual choice to acknowledge the inexplicable accuracies of the Bible and the proven ability to revolutionize billions of lives.
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