Are science and religion the two fields that are by nature mutually exclusive or do they reinforce one another?
This is the starting point of a wide array of discussions which Prof Delia Haynes* and Dr Mags Blackie*, both Catholic and lecturers at the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science at Stellenbosch University (SU), seek out to address in their series of science for people of faith talks in May.
The talks are prepared in a way that informs attendees about key theories in science, and seeks to foster a better understanding about the world we live in.
The ‘Origins of the Universe’ talk attracted people of all ages. PHOTO: Ross Michaels
The series of talks kicked off on Tuesday evening by briefly tracing the origins of the universe. The discussion was highly anticipated by the lively blend of young and mature attendees.
What stood out was the manner in which Prof Haynes made a complex topic accessible to a crowd whose understanding of science differs largely. Haynes started off with an experiment to indicate how science works. She made use of two cups of solutions which contained different content: one had barium and the other strontium. After burning the two solutions, the crowd noticed that the first cup turned a greenish colour and the second turned red. In doing so, the professor demonstrated the scientific method of hypothesis, observation and refining of theory.
Prof Haynes engages with the crowd during an experiment. PHOTO: Ross Michaels
“A good scientific theory explains all known observations,” she noted. “Science cannot explain that which cannot be observed.”
As the talk came to an end, Haynes quoted Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest and well-known astronomer of the 20th century, who proposed what became known as the Big Bang Theory, by saying: “There are two ways to arrive at the truth, I choose to follow them both”.
Shane Josias (23), an MSc Applied Mathematics student, found a broader perspective of the world at the talk.
“Since I am somewhat of a scientist, I thought to myself, there is this gap between my understanding of what religion is and what my understanding of science is,” he said. “I’ve been reading up on these things as well and I think that what this series of talks is possibly trying to do, is give a better understanding of those components so I can take those and form a bigger picture. I guess forming a bigger picture, you need a better understanding of science and things from a religious perspective.”
Sage Grushenka (20), BSc Earth Science student and member of the Matie Association of Catholic Tertiary Students (ACTS), had been at odds with her science studies and religious beliefs and thought this talk reinforced the two.
“They spoke about science and how Catholicism actually ties into that and that was something I really thought was interesting because that is what I believe,” she said. “I have so many people coming up to me saying, ‘So you are Catholic, so that means you are very strict in your belief and you are very staunch. Do you believe in science or in your faith?’ And I’m like: ‘Why do you have to separate it, [be]cause they’re both one in the same. You can’t have one without the other.”
Kgomotso Rapoo (20) and Pfariso Maumela (30) were two of the many Catholic students in attendance at the ‘Origins of the universe’ discussion. PHOTO: Ross Michaels
Although the talk may have tiptoed the line of being an echo chamber as many of the attendees were Catholic, it did however, succeed in providing some valuable insights on a complex matter.
*Prof Delia Haynes graduated with a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Cambridge University and is an Associate Professor in Organic Chemistry at SU.
*Dr Mags Blackie is an Ignatian Scholar and the author of Rooted in Love, the highly acclaimed book on Ignatian Spirituality, as well as The Grace of Forgiveness. She graduated with a PhD from UCT, and is a senior lecturer in Organic Chemistry at SU.