This is a think-piece.  I hope that it will inspire you to think about its subject matter. Please approach it with an open mind.

I’m going to take a moment to discuss God, Religion, and Spirituality. My experience with religion is primarily informed through my experience with my own religion, Christianity.  As I have grown older, my belief in a higher power has hardened, but become more nuanced.  I am also a scientist by trade, so I am certainly faced with some perceived conflicts of interest.  The chief conflict is almost always “how I can be both a man of faith and a man of science”. 

So, let’s talk about it…

It is not particularly hard for me to reconcile my profession and my faith

I like to believe that a higher power created the laws of the universe that allowed for the big bang to happen.  I generally subscribe to the notion that our world has or had some divine influence to set it in motion.

I don’t even get all that bent out of shape about the book of Genesis.  Mankind wrote the bible thousands of years ago.  These men did not have any concept of the big bang, dinosaurs, how the solar system formed, or how we came to be.  They instead took their best guess on how we came to be with the information that they had.  This is my main argument for why the bible should not be taken as a literal document.  It is a story, with all the embellishments that make a good story interesting.  Men wrote the bible, and men are fallible. 

There are many intersections of science and faith.  There is no need to dismiss science for the sake of spirituality, and vice versa.  I believe that science is great for explaining what we know.  I also believe that faith is great for explaining what we do not.  I think that it important to understand that beliefs are just that, beliefs.  This is especially important when it comes to religion.  Religion is based on belief.  We cannot truly know, because we cannot prove.  It is good for simplifying our world and our place in it.  And yet, it can become dangerous when it is weaponized to discredit science and other advances that can be proven.  I think this is the source of a greater personal conflict.

As a scientist, I am also forced to be an “agnostic theist”

Several articles, such as this one, describe a “belief compass”.  A traditional compass points to the north, south, east, and west. The belief compass instead points to theism, atheism, gnosticism, and agnosticism.  Theism and atheism represent belief in God or a belief in there being no God, respectively.  Gnosticism represents knowing that your chose beliefs are true, while agnosticism represents not knowing. 

I currently hold two science degrees.  I am also working on a third.  This makes me a scientist, by trade.  The most important thing that being a scientist has taught me is to be certain about things that you can prove.  We are also taught to allow for some doubt with things that we cannot prove.  Using this training, I cannot be certain that God exists.  I also cannot be certain that God does not exist.  I can only choose to believe one way or the other. 

So, I am agnostic (I don’t know).  I also choose to be theist (I believe in God).  I choose to be a theist because I like the idea of there being order to the universe.  I like the idea of a higher power.  I like the idea of an afterlife.  I also cannot prove that any of my beliefs are more than me wanting them to be true.  Thus, I am also agnostic because I do not know.

I do not have any problems with atheists, theists, or anyone anywhere else on the spectrum.  None of these stances are objectively wrong.  None of these stances are unassailable because they cannot be proven.  I am annoyed by atheists that believe science has proven that God does not exist.  I am also annoyed by theists that believe that their belief in God proves that God exists.  I am fine with both atheists and theists who are willing to accept that their beliefs are not facts.

I also believe that religion and spirituality are related, but separate, concepts.

Many people define themselves as “spiritual” these days.  I cannot speak for others, but I say that I am spiritual because I mostly reject organized religion.  I also maintain a very strong foundation in my faith that is independent of the church. I do this because, although I believe in God, I have conflicting opinions on religion itself.  On one hand, religion offers a set of guiding principles.  These principles can help produce a person of high moral character and fortitude.  Faith can get us through the darkest of times. 

But I despise the judgment that is so rampant in organized religion. Religion teaches us that our way of belief, and our God, is the only way to a good life and a greater afterlife.  That adherence to a certain moral dogma is the only way to be a good person.  We are taught that those who are different are, at best, misguided souls. At its worst, we are taught that these people are damned to hell for all eternity when their life ends.  When religion becomes exclusionary instead of inclusive, I check out. 

I have held onto my faith because the core principle of Christianity is compassion.

I can remain a Christian because the core principle of Christianity is compassion.  The idea that you don’t have to agree with someone or even like them to humanize them is a powerful one for me.  Yet, I have seen so many Christians use their faith as an excuse to hate or demonize another person or group of people.  That’s why I tend to avoid many other Christians.  I don’t need that in my life. 

Instead, I am going to leave you with this quote from one, particularly notable Christian.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness.  Only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate.  Only love can do that.

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