The Integrated Reality of Science and Religion
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Authors
Kyle Scheck
Issue Date
2026
Type
Language
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Abstract
Science and religion are like two sides of the same coin, they exist in tandem and are deeply connected. Some may argue that science and religion conflict on many levels, that as concepts they are incompatible. During my presentation I will explore two conflicting concepts in science and religion: prayer and miracles. You might have an understanding of prayer, but for the sake of clarity I will define prayer as the act of reaching out to the divine or something associated with divinity. Miracles are also widely understood by society, but differ by definition. Some refer to miracles as violations to the laws of nature, others call them exceptions. It is impossible to talk about God. The concept of God, in the following statements, is an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, perfect, all-good, and all-loving deity. To expand on my original statement, pretend there is a dark room and within the darkness is an object that is completely hidden. Science and religion are also in the room, but they are at opposite ends of the object; both can touch the object or illuminate it. However, science and religion are fundamentally different concepts, the words science and religion use to describe the object are different. The object, hidden in the dark room, represents God. We can establish that God exists because of the big bang, or the cause of the universe, which is miraculous in nature. Science says that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, it's a law of nature, yet at one point our universe was described as nothing. While objections can be made to this argument, they are ultimately undermined by exploration of the purpose of prayer and miracles in religion. Prayers and miracles are tools used by religion to define God, similar to science using the scientific method to define reality.