This past weekend, the Portland Catholic Center for Faith hosted a conference to explore the relationship between faith and science. “Things Visible and Invisible: The Beautiful Harmony of Faith and Science” featured keynote speakers Fr. Paul Gabor, Director of the Tuscon Vatican Observatory Research Group, Dr. Stephen Barr, President of the Society of Catholic Scientists, and Dr. Natasha Toghramadjian, a NSFGFRP Fellow at Harvard University.
All three spoke about how science and faith not only coexist but continue to support each other. Fr. Gabor focused on the fact that God created both the physical world and the scriptures. Therefore, since “the two books” were written by the same Author, they cannot contradict each other.
Dr. Barr reminded us of the rich history of scientific research within the Catholic church. he debunked the idea that science is against religion by citing the numerous priests, scholars and devout Christians who founded various branches of scientific study.
Dr. Toghramadjian spoke in more detail about one particular group, The Jesuits, who are credited with building the first continental-scale network of seismographs. This network enabled seismologists to study the earth in a previously unachievable way.
After the talks on Saturday, attendees gathered for lunch, followed by a panel discussion with all three speakers. Attendees asked difficult questions about bridging the gap between faith and science communities.
