Science and Christianity
Why Christianity in particular?
The political polarization of science is part of the divide between science and Christianity in the United States. The term “evangelical Christian” has become associated with white, conservative, and anti-science Republicans because the conservative ideologies associated with Republicans, particularly preservation of the status quo, are also associated with white evangelicals. Science often has gone against that status quo; for example, scientists positing the theory of evolution over creationism, and that people are damaging the environment by exerting “dominion” over the Earth. Science and religion are not necessarily opposed — leading scientists are often religious, leading theologians can also be scientists, and many average people believe both in science and Christianity. Science and theology are two tools that humanity has to understand our reality, and both are applicable and necessary in different situations.
The best recent example of the Christian Church working with scientists to bring global awareness — regardless of religious or political belief — about climate change is the Laudato Si movement, starting from Pope Francis’ encyclical published in 2015. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis emphasizes that humans have a responsibility to care for the Earth, and that solving the climate crisis necessitates dialogue between the Church and science. The content of his letter itself draws on both religion and science, describing the scientific phenomena of climate change and expanding on it in theological terms. In the letter, Pope Francis recognizes that “A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system” and states that “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” Although the climate crisis is far from being solved, Laudato Si’s message of anticonsumerist environmentalism has been a push for Christians, and all of humanity, to work to combat climate change.
But the perception of science and religion in opposition persists, which is a tool that some political groups are able to use to push their agendas. Although Christian individuals are not the ones responsible for the politicization of science, organizations uniting under the banner of Christian nationalism have played a major role in dismantling women's and queer rights. For example, using the language of religious liberty, one such organization, the Alliance Defending Freedom, has incited outrage against teaching race and LGBTQ+ rights in public schools, with the goal of removing billions of dollars from public schools.
Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching, with its themes of Catholic tradition found in the Bible and other Church documents as defined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, align with the goals of scientists.
Life and Dignity of the Human Person is the theme regarding the duty we have to protect human life. Although there were certain white evangelicals that believed getting the COVID-19 vaccine was against their religion, Pope Francis advocated for vaccination, saying that “humanity has a history of friendship with vaccines.” One of the Ten Commandments is “You shall not kill” — “killing” includes allowing the vulnerable in our society to die from preventable diseases, especially when refusing vaccines out of stubborn ignorance. Choosing whether or not to vaccinate does not just affect the individual; eliminating a disease relies on as many people as possible getting vaccinated to ensure the disease cannot spread to any hosts. God teaches us that we are all brothers and sisters, and that we must care for each other instead of focusing only on our own interests.
Care for All Creation is the theme regarding our duty to protect our planet. The Catholic Church, particularly Pope Francis through Laudato Si’, has been at the forefront of the fight against climate change. God calls his people to be stewards of creation. In fact, the very first story in the Bible, the first chapters of the Book of Genesis, states that God gave humanity responsibility “over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground” (Gen 1:26). Furthermore, many of the Psalms call us to praise God and his creation: “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!” (Ps 148:3-5). Both the Bible and the institution of the Church state that humanity should respect and protect God’s creation.
Rights and Responsibilities is the theme regarding the duty we have to protect human rights, including the right to a quality education. A proper education on science and other subjects is necessary for children to grow into their full potential and make a positive difference in the world. However, certain groups uniting under the Christian Church instead use their religion as a motivation to take away quality public education.
Christian Nationalism
The war against public education is closely entwined with the war against secular education. Christian nationalism is the driving force behind the lawsuits and political groups restricting public education. Christian nationalism is the belief that America should be defined by Christianity: that all aspects of American culture, including education, should be based only on Christian beliefs. A right-wing Christian nationalist group called the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), funded by a private group of Christian millionaires called Ziklag, has been behind Supreme Court decisions since 2011 eliminating the right to abortion and allowing discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. The ADF’s plan included arguing that “[p]ublic schools were indoctrinating children with a secular worldview that amounted to a godless religion” to incite outrage against public education — that “secular worldview” being lessons on racism and LGBTQ+ rights. Ziklag’s purpose behind dismantling the public education system is for Christians to capture the “Seven Mountains” of culture: family, religion, media, entertainment, business, government, and, of course, education. A leading figure in Ziklag, Lance Wallnau, is a proponent of the New Apostolic Reformation, whose followers believe that Christians must accelerate the Second Coming by exerting dominion over the entire world; Wallnau believes that environmentalists are “under the control of demons.” The ADF and Ziklag unite under Christianity to destroy public education, decrying secularity to earn support from the public.
