Undergraduate / College essay about religion and science.....controversial? I hope not..... [3]

Evaluate a risk or ethical dilemma you have faced and how the experience has impacted you

I've never believed in a border between religion and science. In the world we live in today, this imaginary border has become a violent battlefield that has divided and polarized us for centuries. For me, religion and science have been two distinct yet intertwined pathways that have helped me navigate the world around me. I may only be seventeen years old, but I've learned by now that both science and religion will be vital in helping me succeed in my upcoming college and adult life. I hope my college experience only helps strengthen this belief that I need to be compassionate and understanding while also being rational and analytical in order to be successful. I hope I can learn the best of what religion and science have to offer, so I can one day be a better student, physician and human being who will leave a positive impact on the world.

I've spent a lot of my life in church. Most of my Friday nights, Sunday mornings and holiday breaks have been spent growing up in the same building, knowing the same people and practicing the same beliefs. People may expect me to be close-minded because of the influence of religion on my life, but that simply isn't the case. Religion has taught me to view the world with an open mind and loving heart. It has taught me that the only way to improve the world is to care for its people and embrace them, rather than exclude or condemn them. But more than philanthropy, religion has given me perspective. I've learned to read ancient texts and stories and apply them to my life and world today. The world I live in today may be different from the world of the biblical era, but I've learned that hope, charity, mercy and love are lessons the world should never forget. I plan to draw on the millennia of wisdom that religion has to offer to help me improve the world, rather than isolate myself from it.

Although religion and science seem to be in constant conflict, I still find myself passionate about both. Whether it was learning about the sub-atomic world in chemistry, the human body in biology or the expanding universe in physics, I have always been awestruck by what science has been able to teach me. Whenever I look at the changing colors of fall or the multitude of stars in the night sky, I am thankful for having a precise and accurate way of explaining and appreciating the world around me. Science isn't dull or cold or calculating, but the answers it has provided have made the world more beautiful. It doesn't rob us of our hope or our beliefs, but instead adds to them. Every day we hear of advancements in scientific fields that are preparing to improve our world. Whether it is with a cure, invention or method, science is equipping us with the tools to solve the problems of today and move towards a more perfect tomorrow.

It is for this reason that I believe in both science and religion. I believe they share a common purpose to improve our lives and inspire hope. I don't think we have to choose one and abandon the other to dictate how we live our lives. Instead, I believe we must apply the best of both in order to create the world we all dream of in the future.

We all find our beliefs in whatever is around us. We search for reason in our experiences and our environment, and once we find it, we latch on tight. Some people look for God (or someone like him) in super-colliders, others in religious buildings and even a few in bowls of poisoned Kool-Aid. I believe in the unlimited potential of science, and in its ability to solve our problems and improve our lives. But I've also witnessed the power of faith and prayer and the amazing effects of grace, forgiveness and love on the world. Science has helped me explain the world around me, while religion has given it meaning and purpose. For all the questions in my life, science has provided the what and how, while religion has given me the who and why. I plan to draw on both to guide me in the future, and I cannot wait to see where these two great compasses lead.