Responses from 21 High School Interns: Kat speaks AGAIN!

Responses from 21 High School Interns at The Scripps Research Institute to the question, “Do you think science and faith are contradictory? Why?”

***Please note that prior questions were, “In your own words, what is evolution?” and “Who was Charles Darwin?” This explains why most of the students’ answers center on evolution and creation, rather than on science and faith as a broader topic.***

1. I believe they can both coexist if written religions are not taken literally. But I do believe they are contradictory.
2. Yes to an extent. Faith in general believes in things that are unprovable or have been proven wrong by the scientific method.
3. To me no, I believe that in some way science and faith work together. (This person noted on another question that he or she “not so much learned but read about the controversy of evolution in Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.”)
4. Not contradictory both are ideas that people have stating their origins.
5. Yes, I feel that creationism is a product of the ancients that needs to be exterminated
6. Nah, they have different ideas but not contradictory. Except for the one where ‘poof’ god made humans.
7. Definitely, creationism contradicts with evolution because that means all animals, plants, etc. spontaneously existed.
8. Yes – science shows evolution where some religions just are based on faith alone and have no facts.
9. They can be depending on how serious you are in your faith.
10. No. I think they’re two different entities that may never be reconciled, but one can be Christian and a scientist. They are different levels of explanation.
11. For most people, yes, but personally no. I’m a devout catholic, but yet I continue to throw myself into the science world and I accept both worlds.
12. It depends on people’s perspectives but science and faith, I believe, are not contradictory.
13. No, because I’m catholic.
14. No, they’re the same but faith has fable.
15. It depends on the type of faith.
16. Somewhat because religion does not believe that humans evolved from monkeys.
17. Yes and no, depending on what is said.
18. Science and the Christian interpretation of faith are contradictory because the Bible is so detailed, but not necessarily faith as a whole.
19. Yes because both sides have different beliefs of how life evolved. However, it seems that religion is molding itself to science now.
20. In regards to Christianity it is b/c the book of Genesis says one thing while science says another.
21. Yes, because humans according to science weren’t created exactly as we are now nor came from Adam and Eve.

Brent's 2-cents: My favorite is the one who said "No, because I’m catholic." I love it!!!