Search for Reality beyond Faith

By: Renn Vinzon Arante

                Scientific theories behind the Earth’s history, beliefs that the universe was formed from a continuous growing explosion and the beliefs that the Earth and its moon were formed from two colliding planets, these are the last subject matters on Science that I expected to be discussed in my school.  University of Santo Tomas, named from a Saint founded by priests and from its name explains it, I am studying in a Catholic school, and more than that among the universities this is at least the most conservative-purist school where priests are in full control. I did not get it at first why those subjects were discussed.

                The Big Bang Theory explains that the Universe space was formed from a sudden explosion which brought space and gaseous materials which became the “Universe”, million years ago. Evidence shows that the galaxies are slowly moving away from each other up to now like an explosion. It said that the Universe we know was first only made of gaseous materials like nitrogen, oxygen and a lot more of elements. In time, these gaseous materials combined and interacted with one another which became rocks with gravity and this became the planets, asteroids, stars and all of the astronomic material we know. Of course these scientific events did not occur in a matter of seconds, minutes, hours, days and not even in moths but happened entirely in a very long period of time like million to billion years ago. These are scientific facts that are not yet proven but were supported by numerous facts and evidences discovered by scientists. Should we believe it? Of course it is up to us already. This is just a theory and not yet proven and it is up to our creative minds already weather to believe or not. But I do believe if there is something that collides; it is the Religious point of view and this scientific point of view. According to religious belief, the entire universe was created by a divine being in just a matter of days, seven days to be exact. This is not a fact supported by a lot of evidence but a belief supported by faith. This is what is playing in my mind when are discussing this in our NatSci (Natural Science) class.

                Two planets collided that caused the formation of the Earth, the bigger piece became the Earth and the smaller fragment became the moon, the heavy plasma materials went deep and became the Earth’s mantle and the core, the solid plates became the crust and the gaseous materials then suspended above but still being pulled by the gravity became the Earth’s atmosphere. This is one more theory that was also discussed in our class regarding the Earth’s history. Supported by facts and artifacts, it is said that the Earth were originally made of only one big continent which due to earthquakes, meteor and volcanic eruptions, the continent spread out and became where we are now. Then again this is just a theory and not yet 100 percent proven. This exactly collided with what the faith-religion believe that we were all created in seven days.

                Should a Catholic school be teaching the science of creation which directly discredit to what the Church beliefs on our creation? I was confused to what I will answer on this question at first but in my personal point of view I do believe this should be taught to everyone. Nothing is accurate and I do believe that before this unresolved Man’s Search for Reality is discovered, we are all dead already. Was the universe formed in a scientific way or in a divine way? I believe in both. Some might disagree, some might be mad but I do believe in both. Science is facts supported by a lot of discoveries, artifacts and proven realities that we can’t deny but then again I personally believe that Science is a tool from someone Divine to create us. It is His way of creating things and just like what we think on the creation, it is a magic. From gaseous materials to Universe, from small rocks to Earth, science is a tool used by Him to bring life. In conclusion I believe Science and Religion is not water and oil that can never mix. It can in an open-minded man to accept something scientific destined to happen by the command of something in Divine form.

 P.S.
Thanks to our professor, Mr. Crisencio Paner for sharing his knowledge and guiding us to do this blog.