What are Christians to do when the “Left” and the “Right” do not follow science/facts/evidence?
By Robert Fontana
Both sides of the political spectrum love to tout science to back up their position. Yet each side can ignore the “science” when the facts do not line up with their ideological positions. We Christians are committed to what science and social research find is the best evidence for what’s happening in the world and to the basic facts of history, recent and past. Jesus says that the “truth will set you free!”
Years ago, when I was beginning to learn about clergy sex abuse and cover-up, my attorney brother who was representing survivors of clergy sex abuse, gave me this advice: “Seek the truth and do not pre-determine where it ought to go.” In other words, let the truth/ facts/evidence guide you to your conclusions, however uncomfortable or unexpected those conclusions may be.
Here are two examples of how I believe that liberals do not follow science:
Abortion: I had a conversation with a pro-choice Catholic about abortion. When I made the statement, “The science is clear; the fetus in the womb is human life, a baby.” “That’s ridiculous!” was the response. “You’re just using that to throw guilt on women having an abortion. You are terrorizing women.”
There was no more discussion. I did not get a chance to ask him to clarify what he meant by that statement or talk about taking seriously the experience of a woman or couple having a crisis because of an unplanned pregnancy. For him, the embryo is fetal tissue, not a baby.
Gender-Affirming Therapy: This form of therapy just accepts it without question as truth when a youth or adult states in counseling or to a medical provider that their gender identity conflicts with their biological sex. The therapist affirms the gender identity the client presents and works to help the client’s biological sex conform to this gender identity, which can include prescribing hormone blockers and sex-reassignment surgery.
This is a difficult topic because the evidence in this area has changed over the past several years. Gender affirming therapy was first developed by the Europeans and later adopted by most American psychological and medical professionals. Now, however, after continued research on the long-term effects of gender affirming therapy, the Europeans no longer support it. They have determined that the primary need for young people who are struggling with their gender identity is therapy. In counseling, young people can sort out the multitude of life issues that might be contributing to emotional and mental disruption. Counseling and accompanying youth throughout their teenage years are now the recommended treatment. But mental health and medical organizations in the U.S. are resisting the recent compelling evidence that gender affirming therapy is actually harmful rather than helpful for youth struggling with gender dysphoria. (see US News, 7-12-23).
Here are two examples of how I believe that conservatives do not follow science.
Human Influenced Climate Change: I was talking with a conservative family member about climate change. He reacted quickly, “The climate is always changing! End of discussion.
In a 2024 analysis of House Republican views on human-caused climate change, 123 members rejected the science supporting this (see The Hill, 7-18-2024). And in a Pew survey, only 12% of Republicans viewed human-influenced climate change as a major threat (see ABC News, 8-27-24).
The facts are that the vast majority of climate scientists specifically and scientists in general are persuaded by the evidence that human use of fossil fuels is a leading cause of the planet’s heating up (see Forbes, 12-10-21).
For specific evidence on human-caused climate change, go to https://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/sustainability/evidence-climate-change
Science and the Bible: One of the first challenges to the Biblical view of creation came when medieval “scientists” first dissected the corpses of men and women. They expected to find a man with one less rib than a woman but what they discovered was most male and female corpses had 24 ribs. AGH! This caused an existential crisis, challenging Christianity’s view of the Bible as an authority on science as well as religious and moral truths.
Then came Copernicus and Galileo who insisted that the earth revolved around the sun and not the sun around the earth. Then Darwin and company insisted that all creatures, including humans, evolved from more primitive forms of life. And then there came the discovery of fossils of ancient creatures and bones of dinosaurs; the geologic evidence of Earth’s great land masses moving over plates; the explorations of deep space and the vastness of the universe, and…
The compelling evidence from all of the above is that the Earth is over 4.5 billion years old, and the universe is over 13 billion years old. (NASA, https://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild) The Bible is not a science, history, or medical book. It’s a collection of writings that speak to the divine-human relationship. It may contain aspects of science, history, and good medicine, but that is not its intention or purpose.
These are only four of the big issues about which one side or the other ignores the scientific or social science research because the evidence does not fit its political or philosophical agenda. When we can’t work on finding common ground on the facts around an issue, then we are destined to argue and fight one another.
What to do? We Christians should not allow a political ideology to shape our moral choices. We hold on to the moral principles that come from the Gospel of Jesus and the witness of the saints, and include in our dialogue the evidence from science, the facts of history, and conclusions from social research to help us discern how to respond to a specific situation. Often, we must hold together two competing truths and try to discern the path that will most support the dignity of the human person and serve the common good. As an example, when we Christians address human-influenced climate change, it is very important to consider the impact of any decisions or actions on the lives of the people who will be most affected by those decisions or actions.
The old Christian axiom still applies: faith and reason are “complementary paths to truth.” (https://philosophy.institute/western-philosophy/faith-reason-aquinas-truth-paths/) Let’s step out of our ideological “corners” and, with both faith and reason, and the guidance and wisdom of the Holy Spirit, move toward sincere, frank, and respectful dialogue with one another.
