 | The Reverend Doctor Cathy Northrup was born in Ft. Meade, MD, and was raised in a variety of places in the United State and Germany, as her father was in Counter Intelligence with the Army. She graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, with a double major in English and Religion. She graduated from Georgetown Law Center in Washington, DC, and practiced law with the Federal Reserve Board for a number of years before attending Union Theological Seminaryin Richmond, VA. She graduated from Union, and served several churches in North and South Carolina, at the same time obtaining her Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, NJ. Dr. Northrup is currently the Pastor/Head of Staff of First Presbyterian Church, Wichita, KS. She is married and has two black Labrador dogs who were rescued from abusive situations. You can contact Dr. Northrup at cnorthrup@firstpresbywichita.org or by phone at (316) 263-0248, ext. 26. |
Religion
2007-01-01 10:14:00
In this world of science, of what real value is religion?
With science trying to replace religion, and more and more people trying to remove God from our lives, what value does religion provide today for the world as a whole?
I think it is a big assumption to say that "science is trying to replace religion." There are some who believe that, as we learn more in the field of science, which they consider totally factual, we can abandon what they consider the "myths" of religion. However, there are many more who see that science and religion are in fact two different fields, and yet they can support each other. The well-known scientist John Polkinghorne fits into this latter category. He believes that the more science discovers, the more it comes closer to saying there has to be some supernatural power behind this world.
As I understand it, science observes, identifies, describes, and investigates the world of nature. It utilizes the scientific method, which involves observing, forming a hypothesis, and testing and retesting the hypothesis in order to discover truths.
Religion is the field in which systems of belief in a supernatural power are expressed. As Presbyterians, we have a "faith seeking understanding," as Anselm put it hundreds of years ago. We believe in God, and we continue to try to understand more and more about God and ourselves as we live lives of faith. Religion, for us, provides a perspective on life, a guide for living, education, fellowship, mission, and so much more. We look to our faith as important, yet we do not neglect what the field of science tells us as well.
