Science

So the other disciples told Thomas, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25).

            When I was in High School I enjoyed studying Science. I liked the way its conclusions were based on evidence which could be observed and measured. Another thing I liked was that Science used Reason: if one idea was true you could deduce from it other sound conclusions. A third thing I liked was how you could challenge a theory and perform an experiment to determine if it were true. However, as much as I liked Science I also recognized there were limits to what you could know by using it. For example, there is no way to “prove” a mother loves her child. When her baby wakes up crying during the night does she change the child’s diaper because she loves the child or so she can go back to bed? There are truths in life for which no Scientific proof can be supplied; in other words they must be accepted on Faith.

            In this passage from John, Thomas challenges the claim made by the other Apostles that Jesus has risen from the dead. By doing so, he reveals the tension which exists between Science and Faith about accepting Christ’s Resurrection.

            Thomas’s response to news about Christ’s Resurrection was reasonable. Jews associated the Resurrection with the End-times not the present day. While Jesus brought Lazarus back from the dead, that Miracle was not a Resurrection. Lazarus’s death was in the future. Christ’s Passion and Death were traumatic experiences for Thomas and the other Apostles. Those events included betrayal, arrest, an unfair trial and execution. The man in whom Thomas believed and followed was dead. The incident experienced by the other Apostles was a dream or projected Hope. Like a Modern Scientist, Thomas demanded proof based upon verifiable evidence: a finger placed in a nail-hole and a hand into a wounded side. However, when the Apostle established these criteria, he allowed for the possibility the Disciples’ Account was true. When Jesus returned, he satisfied Thomas’s demand for evidence. The Apostle responded with the strongest Faith statement found in John’s Gospel: “My Lord and my God.” Yet, Jesus warned him and the others that although Belief which took a Scientific approach based upon material evidence was acceptable, that built upon other criteria such as Witness Testimony was superior because it demonstrated greater trust in God. Science functioned within the limits of space and time found in the Created Order. These boundaries placed no restrictions on God. Certain truths about God were Mysteries which went beyond Human Reason. The only evidence for them came from Witness Testimony recorded in the Scriptures. Since this Source was unsatisfactory according to the criteria employed by most Historians and Scientists they rejected it. While Faith and Science sought the truth, differences in their criteria for evidence created the tensions experienced by Modern Disciples.

            Tensions between Science and Faith have surfaced during this Covid 19 Pandemic. Many Religious people ignore the evidence Scientists supply about the Virus and how to stop its spread and declare God will protect them. Some consider Public Health Measures which could limit the number of infections and deaths to be an attack on their Religious Freedom and so oppose them. Others contend since material from Aborted Fetuses is being used in the production and testing of Vaccines, they are cooperating with evil by getting one. These attitudes have caused some in our Society to think all Religions are Anti-Science and Irrational. Catholics and other people of Faith understand the tensions which exist between Science and Faith. On the one hand, God gave us Human Reason to understand the Natural World and employ this knowledge to promote the Common Good. This is why the Catholic Church sponsors Scientific Education and Research in its Universities and Health Care Facilities. On the other hand, God also established a Moral Law which insures Human actions conform to that Common Good. It is for this reason the Catholic Church is uncomfortable with Vaccines produced or tested with material obtained from Aborted Fetuses. Although it is not opposed to the vaccination of individuals, it respects the Conscience Rights of those who choose to not get a shot. Modern Disciples often find it difficult to navigate the tensions between Science and Faith at this time. They respect Science because it is based on Reason and evidence. However, their Faith acknowledges the limits of Science and how it might violate the Moral Order. As Thomas learned in this story from John, taking a Scientific approach using evidence and Reason can lead one to truth. Yet, combining it with Faith can lead one to a more complete truth. By its Teachings, the Church tries to show Modern Disciples how this can be done.

            I still like Science because it is reasonable and based upon evidence. My Faith tells me to follow the advice of Medical Experts because all they know can help me stay healthy. It also tells me how to fit their Knowledge into God’s Moral Law to make sure it is used wisely. Science and Faith will continue to have tensions. But, when they cooperate they accomplish a lot of good.

April 24, 2022