Christianity has long had discussions about the scientific evidence versus what has been said in the texts of the religion. In the early days of Christianity and religions alike, those who oppose the views of the church were often put up for display and were reprimanded for their speech against the church. However, as time went on and history unfolded in front of us, scientific advances such as Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, all the way until last year’s announcement by Pope Francis admitting that the church believes in the Big Bang theory, the Christian church has slowly and perhaps unwillingly started to accept and affirm the scientific discoveries of the world population so fondly believes. In this essay we will look at some of the scientific discoveries and the effects that had on the church, and we will see the pattern of slow acceptance of scientific principles unfolding in the churches wake.
One is able to trace back the span of Christianity vs science to times when astronomical and cosmological discussions were taking place. Theories were coming out left and right that went against the churches saying of the earth being at the center of the universe. Nicholas Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer who happens to be the first person who thought up a heliocentric map of our solar system, which was the first person to do this going against the churches statements/understanding that the earth was at the center of universe. Galileo Galilei is considered to be a major factor in the creation of what we know of as modern science. Galileo is important to note because he was the one who the inquisition found in guilt of defense of the Copernican Theories, and hence was put under house arrest for the entirety of his remaining life (Hawking 195). It has been stated that the Catholic Church continued to “condemn Heliocentricism as ‘false and contrary to scripture’ all the way until February 1616 (Sharratt 127). 1835 the church dropped its well known opposition to heliocentrism, finally reaffirming Galileo and Copernican theories as being right. This is one of the most well known examples of church vs science in human history. As one can see it took literally hundreds of years for the church to accept scientific fact that was being pondered and perhaps scientifically proven in the day and age that it was being rejected. The church realized that had to recognize this wrong, and so in March 2008 of two thousand and eight the Vatican resurrected a statue of Galileo inside of the Vatican (Owens).
1859 created perhaps the largest shake up in the churches history, this occurred when Charles Darwin published the Origin of Species which therefore forced a hand of the Catholic church to rethink and revise its own statements on evolution. It was stated to the church continued to say that evolution stood more of a hypothesis at the time. However, as time went on there were interesting cases where members of the church actually helped to contribute the furthering of evolution’s goal of being proven. According to the CatholicHerald of the United Kingdom, “Catholic scientists contributed to the development of evolutionary theory. Among the foremost Catholic contributors to the development of the modern understanding of evolution was the Jesuit-educated Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) and the Augustinian monk Gregor Mendel (1822-1884).” This direct quote states that Catholic church members throughout the 18th and 19th century help the church to understand that Evolution was in fact a true force that they needed to reckoning knowledge. Is the scientific advancement had to be taken by the church, renewal of guidance for their wording on the subject matter was changed into that of saying that God himself creates and shepherds this scientific wonders of life. The church no longer states the the scientific discoveries are simply not true, but rather the church either chooses not to acknowledge them, or states that only by the hand of God these discoveries were able to have been created and stated for the world to see.
Perhaps the most outstanding example of the church acceptance of science as truth or fact occurred just recently in October 2014. The Internet and social media light were buzzing with statements that the Pope headset evolution in the Big Bang theory or real. This is something that just had not been heard of out of the Catholic churches mouth from many, and so for most people this is a shocking statement from an institution that generally had not excepted and had hindered scientific advancement and its own community. However, the pope did directly say, “God is not a divine being more magician, but the creator who brought everything to life. Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve” (McKenna). So the interesting thing that we see in this day and age, is now the church has changed its statements to show that God is required for these scientific miracles to happen regardless of size or stature. The church at four while said that its teachings are not at odds with evolution, but this was the first time that we see the church emitting evolution as a staple point of scientific fact and reasoning.
Throughout its history, the church has been a tide I bang in flowing against contrary scientific believes in the communities surrounding itself. This is not to say that the Church has always gone against the grain with scientific theories, but we do see a pattern of hesitation of the churches acceptance opposing theories and published statements of scientific merit. However, we see the tide is changing in our newfound opinionated, and politically charged World that we living today. Perhaps the church realized that in this advanced technological day and age, civilization requires its institutions that they choose to love and follow, acknowledge what most see as fact and to reaffirm one’s belief in these ideals. The church like anything else, like any other organization, like many other people it Is now forced to be proper and correct. It has to look at itself from the inside out, and now the outside in an attempt to better understand how those viewing from the outside truly regard the church itself. In a convoluted way, the church realizes now it is playing in the world popularity contest. Final effort to stop the outflow believers from its cathedral doors, the church plays all of its cards on the table in an attempt to perhaps win just another hand in history.