Dr. Anjeanette Roberts on the Harmony of Science and Faith

- Dr. Roberts, some people have a perception that if you are scientist you cannot have faith in God and vice versa. You have an extensive career in science and you have faith in God. Can we please have your views on science and religion, and how they are in harmony? And furthermore science in fact leads to faith.

- I definitely think that science and Christianity can be integrated and can be found to be in harmony. I find that the basis for conflict is actually a conflict between two different philosophical commitments: one of naturalism and materialism versus that of supernaturalism, which would be at the heart of most theistic religions including Christianity. So I believe that God is the author of nature and also the author of scripture. And because I believe those two things to be true then I believe that the things that we learn in nature that point us to God will be in harmony or can be harmonized with the things that God has revealed about Himself in the scriptures as well. So if there are areas that seem that they are in conflict it's because we're either interpreting nature incorrectly through our scientific observations or we're interpreting the scriptures incorrectly. So I find that the complexities, and the beauty, and the harmony that I see in science and in nature through scientific studies actually lift my mind and my heart in a way that points me to God. And I think that this is consistent with the teachings of scriptures where the apostle Paul says that ever since people have been making observations and ever since time began we can see God's handiwork throughout creation no matter where we look. I think that remains even more true today when we have the capacity to gaze at the stars and understand cosmology, and when we have the capacity to gaze at the cells and the intracellular complexities and see God's handiwork there. So whatever we're looking at, trees or nature with our naked eye, or looking at the cosmos with a telescope or looking at the cells with a microscope, I think the handiwork of God is everywhere.