In the minds of many, there remains a divide between science and faith, and therefore between Christians and the scientific community. A lot of this could be solved through a stronger sense of connection–true Christians understanding what the true scientific community is like and getting to know scientists as people, and scientists knowing what the Christian community is really like. There's a complete misunderstanding among a lot of scientists about what Christians believe. With my work among scientists, it's not uncommon for me to run into individuals who think that all Christians are just science deniers with the same beliefs on every minor topic. They can have a very narrow view if they don’t know any Christians or are not familiar with what a Christian community is like.
On the other hand, I also have scientist friends who are members of a church and have been Christians their whole lives. They've told me, ‘I'm afraid to let my pastor know my beliefs because I hear him preach all the time against things that I believe.’ In my view, the Christian community has to recognize people who have actually studied in these fields and engage them in conversation to find out what they know.
On both sides, humility is needed to accept the idea that there are people who understand and know things that we don't. With patience and humility, there can be progress in bridging the gap and bringing these communities together.
It is a worthwhile endeavor, and there are benefits for both sides. For the Christian community, all truth is God's truth. If there's truth being discovered by scientists, why not try to learn about it? There are things that scientists are discovering that can give us insight into what God is really trying to communicate through his word.
The church is about helping the community and reaching the world, not just in terms of saving souls, but also helping with physical needs. Science and technology can do that in ways that are pretty powerful. The more we know, understand and accept science, the more we can potentially fulfill these goals that we have to help the world.
On the scientific side, there is sometimes a need for motivation and purpose behind the work we do. The Christian worldview can provide that motivation. It can provide meaning for why we're seeing some of the things that we're seeing. It helps me understand God’s fundamental truths about the world and the way the natural world works. Seeing that connection makes it easier for me to work with what I'm seeing scientifically, and it’s a motivation to keep looking and discovering.
As some people have said, it seems like the universe is designed for discovery. God really created a universe that gives us all kinds of opportunities to explore and discover, and that’s pretty meaningful to someone who is a scientist.
