Is it okay to compare and contrast science and religion?

[Maddie Atkinson]

Religion is based on sacred belief while science on the other hand is based on facts and theories. Science and religion are not to be compared at all. It won't be fair to compare two things that have no similarities religion defies science and science the same. Religion is done with the heart while science is done with the brain.

I don't think the author should have compared these two in her book because it's an insult to both.

A good point, but how about the fact that science has allowed us to prove that many of the stories in the Bible actually have a basis on a real event. For example, without science, the theory behind the parting of the Red Sea wouldn't have been proved. The Red Sea didn't part, but the story is based on a natural phenomenon in a lake in Egypt caused by the wind, making the water in the lake completely disappear. This isn't 100% but it is a theory that was discovered with science. How do you feel about the idea that science backs religion? (I'm sorry if that last bit comes across as aggressive or challenging, I can't get across emotion through text )

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I think it depends on the purpose of your comparison. As long as one doesn't directly condemn the authenticity of the other, I think we can always weigh their qualities.

How can a comparison work without one becoming superior. Maybe what one does is just stating the facts. But anyone who sees the comparison will understand what is superior. So is it good to be done in between science and religion

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I believe it's okay to do so, because religion is pretty much responsible for everything including science. So, in other to prove the authenticity of your religion, it's imperative to relate it to scientific innovations.

Religion is not responsible for each and everything that is found in science. And also science doesn't always prove religious beliefs, sometimes it disproves. So such a comparison can inevitably lead into a clash

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Comparing science and religion is quite hard. We can't really compare facts and beliefs. They are two completely different things. But there are a few ways to explore how science affects our religious beliefs.

Correct. It is hard to compare things with more differences than similarities. Science is all about facts and experiments. But religion is about faith and beliefs, which no one has tried to prove or disprove within the religious scope. So it is not a good idea to compare them unless you need a clash

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Science is still evolving too and I'm sure that things that cannot be explained yet, can be in the future. Certain biblical events/happenings can already be scientifically proven, which is great for some people to find more reason to believe in God and the bible. So yes, I think there's no problem to use both simultaneously.

Some biblical teachings might have been proved by science, but many are disproved and many more are yet to be touched by science. So the comparison can go either way, to strengthen the religious teachings or to completely disprove them

[Sushan Ekanayake]

In my opinion, it is not appropriate to compare science and religion because it will surely end up in confusion. I prefer using my scientific knowledge to test my religious beliefs. I usually discard any belief that has been proved wrong by science. Moreover, they complement each other. Did you know that Prophet Isaiah is the first person to go back in time?

That is an interesting fact to know about the very first time traveler, and I hope that is a proven fact.

Yes, the comparison can lead to confusion, since that the religious teachings are already layed out and the scientific findings are to test those teachings. If you are a science person, if science disproves your religion, you will get away from your religion, and it will happen vice versa if you are a religious person

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I think it ok to compare both science and religion. Although science is research based and academic and must be proved, whereas religion is a belief system and people of faith have an absolute trust in it without proof and evidence. I think the argument will depend on the readers and also, the author has to compare in an unbiased way, and not express too many of their own beliefs and opinions.

My point is as same as yours though our conclusions are different. As you correctly said science is based on research and experiments, while religions are based on pure beliefs without thinking of any evidence. So how good will it be to compare such different things, and what will be the outcome

[Sushan Ekanayake]

So long as man lives, he will always ask questions, he will always seek to know more. So I don't see anything wrong with one more question. Comparison is a form of question. So whether the comparison be about God or science or haven or time, it doesn't change the fact of the subject in question.
Man cannot help but wonder and ask and try to know.

You can learn only by questioning. Questions will lead for new experiments and new knowledge. But that is applicable to subjects like science and mathematics. How can it be applied to religion, which is purely based on beliefs of the devouts which have never been experimented on or proven with evidence

[Jaidyn Taylor]

I think there’s room for science and religion. In my faith, we believe that God uses science to create the world. It didn’t just pop into existence...He used “science” to do so. I’m not explaining it properly but basically he doesn’t just use his “magic” to create and do all things. There’s room for both.

[Sushan Ekanayake]

It is so hard to legitimize things said in the Bible when science is quite a major piece of society nowadays. Indeed I think it is entirely alright to differentiate science and religion, particularly on the off chance that it causes individuals to sort out the Bible and their very own convictions. science and religion has been investigated commonly previously, with this correlation occurring in everyday life, we see it in discussions, books and in philosphy homerooms.

Comparing science and religion is not a new thing. Yet the question is, whether it is appropriate or not. As you correctly mentioned, the legitimacy of biblical content is being questioned when they are being looked at from a point of scientific view. In that context, comparison between this two will definitely cause clash

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I don't think you can compare science and religion. Religion is a belief and science is just theories that try to prove those beliefs.

I agree. They are different. But I would like to suggest a correction. Science does not act on beliefs. It acts on hypotheses. Then the researches and experiments are done and either the hypotheses are accepted or rejected. Anyway, it is not good to compare different things

[Sushan Ekanayake]

Religion is based on sacred belief while science on the other hand is based on facts and theories. Science and religion are not to be compared at all. It won't be fair to compare two things that have no similarities religion defies science and science the same. Religion is done with the heart while science is done with the brain.

I don't think the author should have compared these two in her book because it's an insult to both.

That is a good point. Religion deals with the heart and science deals with the brain. You can't mix up these two and cannot compare as well. You will be comparing beliefs with facts, which will end up not with a good result

[Sushan Ekanayake]

This discussion reminds me of a famous argument that my teacher of Engkish once presented us with, way back in high school. He asked us, "If Science states that the sun is a mass of gases that are continuously burning, why has it not been depleted? Why does the sun seem to maintain it's shape and size despite the internal combustion that characterizes its being?"
And so yes, I think it's okay to compare science with religion, if only either philosophy helps you to understand the other.

For the note, with the enormous size of the sun, the depletion is not detectable by human eye. Yet it is happening and the life span of the sun is counted already. So it is not a miracle but just a scientific facts. When many religious beliefs are subjected to scientific analysis, we can see the reality and sometimes it may discredit religious values. That is why I suggest that it is not a good idea to compare them

[Sushan Ekanayake]

I firmly believe, Science and God is two different aspects for living. Both can compliment each other but can never be compared. Science can give us answers to our various questions that God cannot, but similarly God show us the path of belief and faith that Science cannot provide.

That is true. Science is based on knowledge and it speaks to brain. But religions are based on beliefs and they lead the humankind towards spiritual development, which science cannot provide. So these two things have differences than similarities, so it is better not to compare them

[Sushan Ekanayake]

For me, there’s nothing wrong with looking at science and religion side by side. Theories and assumptions of any fields of studies arrives to it’s truth only when it coincides with what is already written in the bible.

That is the point. If biblical stories coincide with scientific theories, then they can be considered as truth. But when science says something and the religion says something that is entirely different, which can be accepted?