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The How or the Why

Theists argue that science and religion can work together because science answers the “how” and religion answers the “why.” In other words, science tells us how the universe works, while religion tells us why it works. The argument made is that these two questions never overlap.

Is this true? Consider any natural phenomenon about which you are ignorant of its cause. Take the weather, for example. Before the advent of meteorology, climatology, and daily public weather reports, weather was a mystery to us. Why is it raining today when it was sunny yesterday? Why did I get a sunburn when it was overcast? Without scientists who have studied the weather and technology, like radar, satellites, thermometers, barometers, and sophisticated software, tracking and predicting the weather is often little more than a crapshoot.

The How and the Why

We need science to understand the weather. This answers the “how,” but, according to the argument above, it does not begin to touch the “why.” Yet, when I learn about how the weather works, I find that I understand why it works as well. When I learn about how rain works, I find that I understand why it is raining today. When I learn about how ultraviolet light works, I find that I understand why I get sunburned on an overcast day.

The Why of It All

But what about the universe as a whole? Does the “how” of the universe also explain the “why?” Does knowing how I came to exist explain why I came to exist, for example?

First, we are making a huge assumption when asking these questions. Namely, we are assuming that there is only one universe and that it is finite. It is possible that our universe is one of many, as part of a multiverse, and that it is not encapsulated and finite, but continues forever. There could be an infinity of infinite universes, each of which could have an infinite past and a finite future, a finite past and an infinite future, or an infinite past and an infinite future. And if our universe is one of many or the only one, but infinite, then what does it mean to ask why “it” exists? There is no “it” to speak of.

Of course, we can still ask why an infinity of infinities exists. This does not mean, however, that we will necessarily ever find an answer or that, if we do, the answer will be religious. This is the second point. Religious answers are always partly mysterious, owing to their supernatural nature. Saying “God did it” tells us nothing, especially about the “how,” but equally about the “why.” Remember, God’s ways are infinitely mysterious.

As I see it, science is the only hope we have of understanding why we exist. While religion offers a comforting answer, it is unfortunately never a complete one. More importantly, it is also never a rational one.