In the words of Pope John Paul II according to the website The Holy See, “Scientific truth, which is itself a participation in divine truth, can help philosophy and theology to understand ever more fully the human person and God’s revelation about man, a revelation that is completed and perfected in Jesus Christ.”
In the modern world, religion and science are often pitted against each other. And as generations pass, this conflict seems to be coming to a boiling point. So how do Catholics address this debate?
According to Danielle Lambert, theology teacher, “Catholics view creation and science as informing each other. To understand creation is to understand science, and vice versa. If something looks like it contradicts, we must look deeper.”
More specific points of dispute include how faith intertwines with things like evolution or the Big Bang Theory. But as theology teacher Geoffrey Stricklin explained, “People will say that there is no need for a creator of the universe, since science has demonstrated the veracity of the Big Bang. But the next logical question is, ‘where did all the matter and energy come from that resulted in the Big Bang?’
It is completely irrational and unscientific to suggest that matter and energy created themselves. So the origin of the universe is a great example of where Catholics embrace insights from science that only lead us deeper into the mystery of faith,” Stricklin added.
It’s important to remember, that although the two harmonize, religion and science cannot be looked at through the same lens.
“They answer two very different sets of questions,” Lambert said.
“Say we had a recipe for a cake. Science would tell you what you need to put in the cake to make it a cake. However, only the creator of the cake can tell you why you made it, and for what specific reason,” Lambert added.
In other words, science answers the how questions, while religion answers the why.
For those who study the Scriptures, who look deeper into Catholic beliefs and who participate in religious debate, the harmonization of faith and science becomes apparent. So, why do so many often make the error of pitting them against each other?
“The way we, especially teens, ‘learn’ things today is by way of social media. Because our social media consumption functions by way of algorithms that reinforce the things we already consume and the info we get, our opinions tend to be very one-sided and way oversimplified. So, many wind up adopting positions that they have not considered carefully at all. This is the biggest problem,” Stricklin said.
Growing up attending non-Catholic schools prior to Xavier, Gabby Abrams ‘26 added that classroom environments could also play a part in this issue.
“If you don’t attend a religious school, they’re kind of pushing this topic aside. I think the conflict stems from people only knowing one thing. So when people hear an opposing opinion, they refuse to believe in it because it was never taught to them,” Abrams said.
“Those of us who read the Scriptures and appreciate the natural world are kind of forced to see that creation and science are not in contradiction. But I think it’s very easy for people to say that they are because you actually have to take the time to understand how they work together. And, sometimes, that means reading, studying and discussing. That’s hard for all of us sometimes,” Lambert said.
