1.9 Natural Law and Catholic Attitudes Towards Science

1) What is Natural Law?

• Natural law refers to moral principles that belong and are in to all humans, enabling them to understand the concept of right and wrong.

• Catholic teaching states that humans are born with this understanding because:

  • God made creation good “He saw everything he had made, and it was very good” (Genesis 1).

  • Humans are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and share His qualities, including goodness.

• Key Points:

  • Following natural law is part of God’s will, as it reflects the in-built moral code given to humans.

  • Humans should know right from wrong without needing explicit rules.

  • The most basic principle of natural law is to do good and avoid evil.

  • Sanctity of life is linked to natural law, emphasizing that all life is holy and sacred, and should be protected.

2) The Catholic Church and Science

• The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) confirmed that science and religion should support each other.

  • Science, when carried out properly, does not conflict with faith.

• Catholic teachings:

  • Religion and science do not have to contradict each other.

  • The Church is supportive of scientific advances that help humans understand God’s creation.

  • Religion and science may offer different answers because they ask different questions:

    • Religion asks why things happen, while science asks how things happen.

3) Examples of Science Supporting Faith

• Georges Lemaître, a Catholic priest, proposed the Big Bang theory, showing that faith and science can work together.

• Genesis creation stories, interpreted as myths rather than literal accounts (liberal Catholicism), do not contradict the theory of evolution.