It also requires me to make progress in providing books for others to read and find what I am looking for in trying to answer their questions. Therefore, by the command of our Lord God and His help, I promise to know better what I know by discussing them with reverence, rather than speaking authoritatively about them. did. 8.

Introduction: How I Became a Catholic

When I became Catholic some 37 years ago, I had to adjust my completely rational (I thought) worldview. As a secular Jewish physicist, I accepted everything that could be explained scientifically as true, and everything else as speculation, judged in terms of aesthetic and practical criteria. But after taking the first three of the 12 steps, I was convinced that I did have higher powers. Moved by the Holy Spirit, I sought to make that higher power clearer and clearer. So I read “Who Moved the Stone” by Frank Morrison. The author makes a persuasive argument that the resurrection did occur, and that argument convinced an impartial jury.

If, as I believed then (and still believe), the miracle of the resurrection did indeed occur, then I must conclude that the rest of the New Testament is true. Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, so I need to convert to the true faith, Catholicism. (My wife is a cradle Catholic, so a happy decision.) Thus began the Catechism process. When I moved away from the “science” religion, the belief that science can explain everything, I began to believe that miracles and faith articles were possible.

spread the word

Like all converts, I wanted to spread this message. So I started writing blog posts about science and Catholic teaching. I also taught adult education classes on science and church in my parish and parish. To be kind, these classes weren’t entirely successful. I failed to recognize that these Catholic adults had little knowledge of science and no mathematics background to understand the science I taught. SUNY system), but did not reach the audience. So I decided to write a book, A Guide to Science for Believers, that will reach both loyal Catholics, who have little background in science, and those who have left the faith because they think science contradicts Catholic teaching. Did.

This book uses a historical approach. (As my medieval historian wife told me, if you want to understand something, look at its history.) I wanted to cover the following topics:

• The medieval Roman Catholic Church was the midwife and nanny of science.

• How Science Works and Changes — The truth of science is immutable, but the methods are fixed.

• what science says “creatio ex nihiro”,” big bang;

• There is no contradiction between Catholic doctrine and what science truly says about evolution.

• Can Computers Have Souls? — A Difference Between Philosophers and Churches.

• Miracles do happen, but their truth lies outside the realm of science.

• how to spot fake science;

Added a science background appendix for those who want to dig deeper into the science. It covers some elements of physics (mechanics) and thermodynamics.

France Spitzer’s Testimony

In this effort to spread the word that there is no war between science and the Church, I have used a historical approach and kept math to a minimum. Let me explain. Foreword to Robert Spitzer’s book. (He speaks better than I do.)

“Kurland first patiently explains the scope and methods of faith and revelation, and the methods and limits of science, and explains why there is no inherent contradiction between them. Faith is the only way to answer the question of why we and the world exist. Reaching out to the revelation of the Creator, which inevitably involves belief – not blind belief, but in many ways justifiable.” Father. Robert Spitzer, Foreword, A Science Primer for Believers.

Let me make one more comment for those who read this book. No book (except perhaps the Bible) is an end in itself. We hope that our readers will continue to pursue their scientific quests. There are many internet resources available for doing this, many of which I link to in the book. We hope that readers will explore these Internet resources further.

A testimony from the priest concludes this blurb. Spitzer:

“Dr. Robert Kurland has truly brought together the realms of Catholic faith and science in an accessible way that respects the integrity of both realms. Despite believing that the realms of science are irreconcilable, Dr. Kurland shows us that nothing is farther from the truth: not only the work of eminent scientists, but several of his studies featured in blog posts. Using or, we weave a tapestry in which faith, philosophy, and science complement each other rather than contradict each other.This preface is intended to be a prelude to the many intersections he explores. His expert interpretation can be found on the pages of this excellent study, and let me be clear, this book is really worth reading.” place sit

We hope to produce a second edition and add basic astronomy and molecular biology sections to the scientific background appendix. And thanks to future readers.