“Ultimately, science has won me over because of the logical reasoning and evidence provided, but here are some of the things I thought about while on this religious journey.”

It is undeniable that science has appealed to the younger generation as the explanation for nearly everything that constitutes ourselves as well as our surroundings. But does everything need to be explained? Better yet, can a belief be equated to evidence?

Having taken numerous philosophy classes and having been part of a Christian church, I too have battled this internal fight between intangible beliefs and hard facts. Ultimately, science has won me over because of the logical reasoning and evidence provided, but here are some of the things I thought about while on this religious journey.

1. How the world has come to be.

“An unshapely intelligent energy with the unlimited power to create or destroy did not seem reasonable and had too many unanswered questions for me.”

Although each religion has different variations of how the world was born, most of them tend to rely on a deity or source of intelligence that through will and reason created humans, land, water and the stars. In elementary school I was taught both the religious approach and the evolutionary approach, but even at the ripe age of seven, the history of us coming from water and slowly adapting to land and descending from monkeys made complete sense and I could visualize the similarities between us and other creatures. An unshapely intelligent energy with the unlimited power to create or destroy did not seem reasonable and had too many unanswered questions for me.

2. Reason or Feeling?

“Reason, on the other hand, always gave me comfort. ”

I have always been a sentimental, empathetic woman but I never got that feeling that someone was watching over me, that my path was paved the way it was for a reason, or that calmness that comes with knowing someone sage and well-meaning had my life in their hands. Reason, on the other hand, always gave me comfort. Sequences of events, cause and effect, resolution to problems that I could come up with by myself always brought me to the peacefulness others receive through prayers and worship.

3. Only a higher being could allow you to think this complexly.

“For instance, even though I do not believe in an intelligent higher being, I believe there are many things science has not been able to explain yet, like the possibility of ghosts or souls.”

This argument is the most faceted and interesting. In some ways, I can see how only something more than human could give us such unique powers. No other animal or living being has the capability of thinking, reasoning, and creating things as humans do, so it would seem like humans were specifically chosen for this gift. I believe that since we are (that we know of) the only ones capable of reasoning, the thought of a higher being existing or the process of thinking at all, is what created the idea of a higher being in the first place and that no other creature has our form of intelligence and therefore cannot think or understand the concept of a God (again, that we know of).

Obviously, this huge debate cannot be fully fleshed out in one article but I want to remark that there is a strict distinction between religion and spirituality. For instance, even though I do not believe in an intelligent higher being, I believe there are many things science has not been able to explain yet, like the possibility of ghosts or souls. Even putting all my faith into science I have beliefs that are not backed up by facts yet they are there and they are valid. Whether you choose religion or science, make sure you see both points of view and always remember that there is no right or wrong belief.

Science vs. Religion