Science and religion.
Who in their right mind would want to blog about this? Why would I want to throw gasoline on the spark and risk igniting a firestorm?
Why?
Because. That’s why.
Sounds kind of juvenile, I know. But, it is important to to me to take a look at why these two cause such epic arguments and why they have caused so many problems for so many centuries.
Being a scientist by trade and a Catholic by life, these two seemingly antagonistic subjects are important to me. I want a closer look at the relationship between faith and fact, even if it means risking being laughed at by the science purists and/or ridiculed by religious purists. Another reason is the interesting discussions I’ve had recently with my priest/uncle about quantum physics and its relationship to faith.
It has been several years since my Catholic school days, but as far as I can remember, there was not a “Thou Shall Not Be Curious and Attempt to Figure Out Your World” commandment included in the Ten Commandments.
God gave us humans these big, beautiful brains and opposable thumbs to figure things out and to work toward improving our human condition. He wants us to be curious just as he wants us to be moral creatures. He gave us free will and with that free will we are allowed to be curious.
I believe in a God of Wonder. I believe in a God of Awesome. I’ve studied biochemical pathways with all their intricacies of control and expression, I’ve tried to understand the cosmos and the atom, and I always come away filled with wonder and awe.
Bang, there’s one connection between science and faith. Awe and Wonder.
Awe and Wonder in the complexity of the universe.
Awe and Wonder in humanity.
Awe and Wonder found simply in the beauty of our planet.
Some may recall the controversy in 2012 when researchers at CERN identified supporting evidence to what may be the Higgs boson particle. You may remember the Higgs boson particle better by its controversial nickname, “God Particle”. There were several interpretations at the time denouncing this so-called “God Particle” as nothing short of heresy.
Theoretically, the Higgs boson particle is the underlying carrier particle behind the fundamental forces of nature, the weak/strong electromagnetic forces and the gravitational force. In short, theoretically, Higgs boson drives the universe and holds it together.
God drives the universe. God’s power holds it together. Therefore, we can label everything in the universe “God’s Particle”.
I like that. The God Particles.
Over the next few months, the plan is to post a series on the topic of science and religion. The reading and research has taken me beyond the scope of a single post (and the powers of my feeble brain). Fact vs. Faith, Ego vs. Belief, more Awe and Wonder, and the surprising thoughts of Albert Einstein on science and religion, are several of the planned directions.
With that in mind, it’s time to get back to work on “data analysis” of The God Particles.
Copyright 2014, Mike Hays
Mike Hays
Mike Hays is a husband, a father of three, a lifelong Kansan and works as a molecular microbiologist. Besides writing, he has been a high school strength and conditioning coach, a football coach and a baseball coach. His debut middle grade historical fiction novel, THE YOUNGER DAYS, is a 2012 recipient of The Catholic Writer's Guild Seal of Approval Award. You can find it at the publisher's website or on Amazon.
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