Theists can love science as much as atheists.

When talking to an older generation about my college major and my beliefs, some people don’t believe they can coincide. I can’t sit and learn about evolutionary biology and believe in what the Bible says, right? Not to me. I don’t believe they correlate. I have a love for my religion, but I also have a deep love for science. I've always found scientific lectures and subjects fascinating and enjoyable, and I don’t think that makes me any less of a religious person. Religion and science can coexist in any one person. Loving writing out chemical reactions does not mean I can't love and be devoted to my religion. I believe loving both science and religion makes me, me. They enhance who I am and they enhance each other. It's important for people to simply judge my religion or my passion based on my love for both. I can't be me with science or religion singularly.

“Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.” I think both science and religion thrive on the idea of being open-minded and accepting. Many great scientific discoveries have come from being open-minded to new ideas, and religion is founded on the idea of inclusion. My faith can guide my actions as a scientist, while my actions are founded on being an open-minded person to what I may learn or how I may feel. I do believe in evolution and I do believe in creation, because I'm an open-minded person. To believe that these two can't coexist is limiting our knowledge on both science and religion. There are plenty of things on this earth that science can't explain, and there are plenty of things that in the past, religion has failed to explain, as well. To think that a person who believes in science can't possibly believe in the foundations of religion is a very naïve view. I am a scientist and I am devoted to my religion, and that is more than OK. Religion is very subjective to a specific person’s interpretation, and I don't agree with the idea that you either believe in Scripture or you believe in numbers. Who ever said you can’t believe in both?

If there's anything I could do to help people understand this idea is saying that life doesn't exist in black and white. You don't need to either believe in religion or science. By allowing the views to coexist, many discoveries have been found. Albert Einstein once said, “All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Religion isn't meant to be an antagonist to finding of science, nor is science meant to disprove the foundations of religion. They coexist in any given person to help the individual understand their own purpose in this natural world and the next. I truly agree with Einstein when he says, “The more I study science, the more I believe in God.” Do not judge a scientist or a science.