How Atheists are Sometimes Right (Part 2)

[Note: As stated previously, even though I'll be comparing atheism and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, members of said church are not atheist. We believe in God, the Eternal Father. Thank you.]

Welcome Back!

So, as we were discussing earlier, I've been thinking about Atheism recently, and pondering how its beliefs sometimes line up with mine. Today, we'll look at another statement, one that hits rather near and dear to me: Science. (If you didn't know, I'm a Physics Major. Check out my mormon.org page for a bit more info about me)

Here's the idea:

"I believe in Science; there's solid, concrete evidence to back it up. And from what we can see from Science, there's no room for God in the equation."


Or, in other words,

"With what we know about Science and Religion, I don't see how the two can mix. I don't know how God and the Big Bang theory (for example) can coexist."

And I don't really know, either. At least, not exactly.

Before we say anything else, I'd like to offer a viewpoint. From studying Physics for only a year, I've run into lots of theories and equations, and I've found something interesting. Science can be beautiful. Science can be elegant. Of all the craziness of this world, there are some very simple and clean principles that govern it. I take that to mean that someone designed everything, that someone took great care into shaping our universe. As Alma put it, "All things [even Physics equations] denote there is a God." (Alma 30:44)

But, on to a more general solution.

The problem with the statements above is that they're static. They assume that we've already learned all we can about a certain subject. This, of course, is foolish. I'd wager that scientists in the 1910's felt pretty confident about what they were studying, and yet they'd be dazzled by everything we know today. And I'll bet that the people in 2113 are going to be pretty far ahead of what we know.

This applies as much to Religion as it does to Science. To quote the Ninth Article of Faith:

" We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." (Articles of Faith 9)

So, we're not done learning about Religion or Science. And, I believe that one day we will close the gap.

The same situation is actually very closely mirrored in the scientific world today. Right now, a big challenge in Physics is to create "The Theory of Everything." This was something that Albert Einstein attempted, but didn't accomplish.

Here's how it goes: There are two overseeing theories in Physics: Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics (I'm over simplifying here). Relativity deals with the motion of really big things; Quantum Mechanics deals with the motion of incredibly small things. Both theories have principles that are true and are measurable. Relativity helps your GPS to work; Quantum Mechanics lets you talk on a cellphone. However, the two theories don't match up snugly. If one is to be completely true, then the other one can't be. But, do scientists stubbornly pick one theory and say the other is ludicrous? No. They admit that they don't know everything, and they keep researching both sides of the coin, working toward a common solution.

This is the same attitude we all need to take on the subject of Science vs. Religion. The two don't have to be stalwart opponents; on the contrary, they're two sides of the same coin. As Latter-Day Saints, we're told to seek after "anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy" (Articles of Faith 13). Basically, if anything in the world is true, we believe it to be part of the Gospel.

I know that God lives, and that He created the heavens and the earth. I know that he wants us to learn all we can about everything that is true. I know He loves us, and wants us to return to live with Him again. And I know that we can gain a witness of these things through prayer. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Elder Richmond