With a tagline that describes itself as “A Network of Christians in Science”, the American Science Affiliation (ASA) captured my attention for all the reasons I had been looking for this entire semester. I found in my search for an organization to present in class that the marriage of Christianity and science was not so easy to come by. This was frustrating to a girl raised in the Catholic faith whom understands that the Catholic Church accepts evolution as a more respected interpretation of creation than creationism. I wanted to defeat the notion that those people who believed in God had an uneducated or indoctrinated view of creationism that was based entirely off of Genesis. I wanted to prove it to myself, too. It had become an accepted idea in our class that the two were, in fact, compatible. The proof that I needed to help me was an organization that upheld the beliefs in God while also pursuing explorations in science. When I stumbled upon the ASA, I was pleased that I had found a haven for the synthesis of two beautiful paths to the truth and the people who believe in it.
The American Scientific Affiliation describes itself as an open forum meant to provide a place for discussion of these issues through a Christian perspective. Those who are allowed to contribute must hold at least a bachelor’s degree in some science and also sign a statement of faith. Science is interpreted loosely as all anthropology, archeology, economics, engineering, history, mathematics, medicine, political science, psychology, and sociology are all accepted. They also have a student affiliation, where any student studying science is allowed to participate. Their statement of faith has four pillars:
“1. We accept the divine inspiration, trustworthiness and authority of the Bible in matters of faith and conduct.
2. We confess the Triune God affirmed in the Nicene and Apostles' creeds, which we accept as brief, faithful statements of Christian doctrine based upon Scripture.
3. We believe that in creating and preserving the universe God has endowed it with contingent order and intelligibility, the basis of scientific investigation.
4. We recognize our responsibility, as stewards of God's creation, to use science and technology for the good of humanity and the whole world.”
This statement does not specify whether members must be extreme or liberal in their beliefs, but instead, allows a general believer, like me, to research and synthesize. Because I appreciate my scientific views that accept evolution and my childhood colored by religion and a creationist upbringing, I found this website a great relief. In researching it, I hope to find more interesting information that drives positivity in this debate.
Their member base has reached 1,500 which is still a small number for the amount of people that I would think are interested in reconciling both their beliefs in science and religion. Not all of the topics focus on evolution versus creation. That topic peaked a number of years ago, but remains a prominent topic in much of the discussion. They fuel discussion through the resources available on their website and their two publications, Perspectives of Science and Christian Faith and God and Nature, in order that their members may “investigate any area relating Christian faith and science.” ASA encourages personal interaction between members for it develops community support, which they deem necessary, as well.
One of the key aspects of the American Science Affiliation is the phrase “Christianity does not call us to turn off our brains”, which is the theme of the forum that they run. They state that “Christianity does not condone our neglect of the planet that sustains us. It calls us to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind (Luke 10:27). If our minds remain narrow and impoverished, our love will be weak. If we are sincere about serving God and loving our neighbor, we must not act in a way that is ignorant or naïve.” This is a stark contrast to the Evangelical Christians of my last post who seem to blindly accept what has been taught. These Christians are searching for truth, and trying to do so in a way that God would appreciate. Their thirst for knowledge is a powerful way of disproving the notion that all people who believe in God must believe in creationism making them ignorant puppets of a religious authority.
In the ASA’s quest to bring science and religion together, without asking for one to be dominant over the other, they have created an organization that appeals to my search for the truth. It is a beautiful thing to find a middle-ground on not only the evolution and creation controversy, but on so many issues, and the American Science Affiliation has done it.
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