The God of Science Do you agree with Einstein? Can science show us what God is like?

What does science tell us about God? The Universe amazes us by its order, simplicity and beauty. The more we find out about it, the more amazed we are at how carefully it is put together. People first started to do science because they believed in God. It was only when people began to believe in one true God, that they thought the world was a work of ONE intelligence. Their faith told them that God had made the world in an organised and mathematical way, so that it was possible to investigate it. Before that, people were content to accept the world as a chaotic place run by uncontrollable and unpredictable forces, or by many different gods, so you could never find out what was behind it. They also believed that God gave humans the intelligence and the desire to understand His work, and so get to know God, so they SHOULD investigate the world scientifically. What does science tell us about God? Why did belief in one God make people think they could, and should, do science? How did people see the world, before they believed it was the work of one God? **Do you think science can tell us more about God? How?

Copernicus(astronomy) We have already met Georges Lemaitre, Father of the Big Bang theory, who was a priest-scientist in the 20th Century; and Galileo who was a devout Catholic in the 16th century. Here are some priest-scientists who changed the way we do science today. Roger Bacon (scientific method) C13th Research the scientist you have been given. Describe his life story in brief. (who was he, what did he study, what did he discover that was important, what happened to him) How does his story show that the Church is NOT against science? Explain 2 reasons with evidence. Does it suggest that there could be a conflict between religion and science? If so, why? Overall, how does his life story teach us that you can believe in both science and religion? **Do you think it is fair to say that “religion does not believe in proof”, if belief in God has spurred people to investigate the world scientifically? Gregor Mendel (genetics) C19th Nicolas Steno (geology) C12th Copernicus(astronomy) C16th

Does your learning this lesson, make you think there is, or is not, a conflict between science and religion? Why?