• Question: Does religion ever effect your work? If so, how?

    Asked by Joe to Francesca, Laura, Matthew, Andrew, Rebecca on 10 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by Smashbadger20.
    • Photo: Matthew Camilleri

      Matthew Camilleri answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      I’ve been born and raised as a Catholic, and although I believe that science and religion are two completely independent things the ethics of everything I do have been shaped through me previous religious teachings.

    • Photo: Laura Schofield

      Laura Schofield answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Hi Joe. I am not a very religious person to be honest, so religion has never got in my way. We get Christmas and Easter holidays and I know a few people who book days off to observe their own religious festivals. I do have a friend that struggles during Ramadan but Uni are very understanding and his supervisor has sent him home several times to rest. Overall, I can’t see religion getting in the way of science or vice versa. In my opinion there is no reason why they can’t support each other.

    • Photo: Francesca Palombo

      Francesca Palombo answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      I think it is more the other way round – research is supposed to challenge faith. However science and faith are both seeking the Truth, only using different means. I feel there is perfect harmony between my work and my faith (christian catholic). Probably the faith adds an element of amazement and respect to my research, and definitely tolerance in my workplace

    • Photo: Andrew McKinley

      Andrew McKinley answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      I am not a theologian, so cannot comment fully I’m afraid,

      Science is based on evidence, and finding a model that fits the theory. If evidence breaks the model, we need to make a new model or come up with a new theory.

      Religion is based on faith, and I have not seen any real evidence for the teachings of scripture.

      As such I see each as completely different world views, and there is no reason for either to interfere with the other.

      There was a quote: “Faith and reason are the shoes on our feet; we walk further with both than with either on their own”. I am not sure who said it, but it is quite profound.

    • Photo: Rebecca Ingle

      Rebecca Ingle answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      I’m not sure religion is something we ever really consider when doing our work. People’s personal views rarely come up in conversation and I’m not sure there are really any moral or ethical dilemmas about shooting molecules with lasers so it isn’t like it’s a commonly controversial area of science really.

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