Recently I read one of Richard Feinmann's books.
In it he devotes a chapter on a topic that I could relate to and he says, was not uncommon during his teaching years: the situation when a student with religious up bringing ends up studying science. That student, he says, goes through a period of unease, a struggle, as his studies conflict with many of the basic tenets of his religion.
The resolution of this conflict doesn't necessarily mean abandoning science or his religion, and many scientists maintain their religious beliefs. How scientists reconcile this is often up to the person himself.
It seemed to me that my religion-along with most popular religions- seem to have two main aims. One is to explain the world we find ourselves in.
I was brought up as a Christian, but later went on to do a MSc. During that time I was exposed to pretty much every branch of science there was: from calculus to relativistic mechanics and quantum theory to the life sciences to anthropology to electrical engineering and materials science.
I came to the conclusion that science does a better job of explaining the world around us then any religion that I've come across.
The other thing religions seem to do is to provide a set of rules on how one should live their life, a moral code or set of values, complete with rewards for those that do, and punishment for those that don't, including the biggies of eternal life or eternal damnation. I can see how this in ancient times would have been important in terms of protecting the community and maintaining social order: after all what bigger reward is their than eternal life, and what worse punishment is their than eternal damnation- Eternity is a long time!
The important things in life-love, family, health, mutual respect however in my mind haven't changed all that much over the eons. I'm yet to be convinced that modern takes on what is a "good and moral life" are any better than the majority of what's in the Bible. I don't believe I'll get to heaven or hell one way or the other, but the Bible's life-rules make pretty good sense to me.
So that was my resolution of my "conflict". I still regard myself as a "small c" Christian.
