Essay about The Influence of Religion on Scientific...

Religion is an intricate part of society. It has existed since the beginning of civilization and continues expanding today. This physical organization of personal beliefs has created wars and revolutions; nations and constitutions. In a subject as controversial as that of faith, it is often difficult to discern if it has benefitted humanity. One especially relevant issue today is religion’s influence on science. Throughout history, it is evident that religious movements have occasionally impeded scientific discovery; however, there is also evidence that scientific progression has been aided by religious ideology. By examining both the negative and positive roles religion has played in history, modern times, and the overall area of†¦show more content†¦Science cannot advance if people cannot discover. Conversely, one can infer from the perspective of Galileo that religion encourages science. Although it was a religious faction that prevented him from sharing his discoveries, it was curiosity driven from his own personal faith that encouraged him to study the cosmos. He is not the only scientist with this reasoning. Scientists like Sir Francis Bacon, Sir Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler and Max Planck all used religion as a basis to study the natural world. The â€Å"Father of Chemistry† Robert Boyle even wrote a book titled The Christian Virtuoso, advocating his belief that the universe was designed by a supreme creator. His thoughts can be summarized in this quote from his book: â€Å"And the more wonderful things he discovers in the Works of Nature, the more auxiliary Proofs he meets with to establish and enforce the Argument, drawn from the Universe and its Parts, to evince That there is a God†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This type of ideology indicates that religion as a whole does not discourage discovery, but actually encourages it. It could also be concluded that it was narrow-mindedness of the Catholic Church toward one ideal that hurt scientific advancement. Religion still influences science in modern times. For example, the subject of creation versus evolution has become a point of controversy in the area of education (which is the foundation of science). To give someShow MoreRelatedThe Scientific Revolution and Its Impact1291 Words   |  5 Pages Throughout the Scientific Revolution, scientists and natural philosophers created a new scientific world by questioning popular ideas and constructing original models. During the 1500s and 1600s, the concept of individualism, the principle of being independent and self-reliant, began to be applied to one’s life. People began to have individual thoughts and started to disagree with commonly believed ideas promoted by the Church. 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