"I'm a devout Christian, but I believe in science."

[Sky Jewels]

No you don't.

You can't simultaneously believe in the laws of science and magic. For example, if you truly accept science, you can't believe that a deity impregnated a mortal. You can't believe that the product of this bizarre event, a carpenter from the Judea of a couple thousand years ago, was put to death but then came back to life and will return to Earth eventually to save his followers. You can't believe that a powerful invisible wizard (his "father" ) is directing things on Earth and ostensibly elsewhere/everywhere in the universe. You can't believe that there's a supernatural realm that occasionally overpowers the natural realm. You can't believe any of that magical stuff if you truly believe in science. Like the commercial says, "That's not how any of this works." The two concepts, Christianity* and science, are mutually contradictory.

Somehow, it reminds me of the "Sheldon" scene from When Harry Met Sally:

*Some "Christians" say that they just like and follow the messages attributed to Jesus in the Bible. Well, that's fine, but I was always told that being a true Christian requires faith in the magical poppycock. So, this doesn't apply to those who don't believe the supernatural stories, yet still call themselves "Christians."

[LiberalArkie]

1. I believe that in the years that he was missing, he was being taught by Buddhist monks who were

known to have been in the area at the time. Thus explaining some of his teachings and the reference to be reborn.

Note: I had my Episcopal priest when I was a kid mention it to me as he was explaining some things.

[Sky Jewels]

4. But Christianity is based on belief that Jesus

was/is a supernatural being. There are all sorts of historical, real world backstories to the Bible, of course, because it is a collection of mythologies that arose out of desert-dwelling Bronze Age peoples, but devout people have “faith” in the magical stuff. The definition of faith is:belief in the absence of evidence.

[Big Blue Marble]

2. In your way of thinking,

how do you explain that many scientists are still Christians? They are committed in their
efforts to use scientific method and in their faith.

[Sky Jewels]

3. They're able to hold two contradictory belief systems in their heads simultaneously.

They are overriding their stated beliefs in science because they want magic to be real. But it’s not real, and there is zero scientific evidence that magic and the supernatural actually exist.

True scientists don’t carve out exceptions to scientific laws.

[Duppers]

11. Exactly.

This type of scientist is very compartmentalize and not self-reflective in the least.
(Would like to see them high and watch their fallout revelations. That would present them with a few problems.)

My husband works with such a physicist. This man is defensive and takes great care to avoid some subjects.

[anciano]

5. Two quotations about religion:

"You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones who need help?" ---- Mark Twain

"It is startling to realize how much unbelief is necessary to make belief possible." ---- Eric Hoffer

[Sky Jewels]

6. Great quotes.

I also like Twain’s “Faith is believing what you know ain’t so.”

[Duppers]

12. My favorite ☝️

[Warpy]

7. I see a lot of compartmentalization going on

with the nonsense pushed to the side during daily life and hauled out every Sunday and whenever stress becomes overwhelming. God in a box in the attic can be very comforting.

The best of them are red letter Christians, pretty much ignoring the OT in favor of the words supposedly right out of Jesus's mouth.

I don't have any problem with them as long as they allow me to do my own thing and don't get their noses out of joint because they never see me in bible study.

[Sky Jewels]

10. Agreed.

I do see a lot of people insisting they are Christian/religious and also believe in science. But you can't have it both ways, not when it gets down to it on the most basic level. Supernatural/magical beliefs and beings do not fit within the scientific framework. There is no evidence for them.

[CanonRay]

8. I believe science and spirituality are on intersecting courses

Different paths to the same mountain top.

[Sky Jewels]

9. Science does not actually intersect with supernaturalism, though.

People want to pretend it does, but it doesn't. Supernatural things such as deities and magical events are not based in any scientific evidence. They're just stories that humans tell themselves.

Now, did people evolve to appreciate and have awe in the beauty in nature and so forth (which is a form of "spirituality," I suppose)? Of course. But that's not the same as believing in magic and/or supernatural phenomenon and beings.

[True Dough]

13. Here's some science

that pokes a hole in silly sentiment...

[Sky Jewels]

14. Ha ha

Love it. 👍