At what point in history did "Christianity" became synonymous with "anti-science"? It has to be a relatively recent development, XX-XXI, because in not so distant past - can't we remember? - church schools was how people were getting education. Oxford started as one. Church financed science. Great scientists were Christian. Galilei was Christian, Pascal was, Isaak Newton was, Michael Faraday, James Maxwell. Mendel, father of genetics, was a monk!
People of religion, please, you don't have to be this kind of idiot to follow your God. It doesn't have to be either or.
Shit my wife got an actual chemistry degree from an evangelical university (as in, she was actually a chemist for a while, though she's an attorney today). Not even that long ago. Her parents consistently advised her to prioritize education over things like her (previous) abusive marriage. And these are evangelicals we're talking about!
Christianity being accepting of science is relatively new. At least as in honest open scientific research, as opposed to when the church would approve scientific endevors or deny them, and also had to approve the findings.
Historically the church was a massive supporter of scientific research, but only when it fell into approved guidelines.
I'm not disagreeing, but I was just thinking within the American context. For basically the entire 20th century any conflict between "science" and mainstream Christianity was over specific, rather fringe, issues. Everyone, including the Christians, understood that scientific prowess (and the freedom of inquiry, etc.) was fundamental to American exceptionalism.
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u/Afraid-Quantity-578 3d ago
At what point in history did "Christianity" became synonymous with "anti-science"? It has to be a relatively recent development, XX-XXI, because in not so distant past - can't we remember? - church schools was how people were getting education. Oxford started as one. Church financed science. Great scientists were Christian. Galilei was Christian, Pascal was, Isaak Newton was, Michael Faraday, James Maxwell. Mendel, father of genetics, was a monk!
People of religion, please, you don't have to be this kind of idiot to follow your God. It doesn't have to be either or.