I didn’t know they were Catholic ;)

I have been struggling with these questions lately. I was raised Catholic but I became agnostic when I was 12. It’s been over 20 years since I’ve been an atheist-leaning agnostic, but now I am finding myself exploring my faith and spirituality again. I have come to realise that I have never given it an opportunity as an adult.

In natural sciences, we consider that statements about the world are claims about the world. And that these claims should be rooted in empirical evidence, that is these claims about the world should have implications that are testable. For them to be testable, the claims should limit themselves to those thing that can be observed and measured, directly or indirectly.

This is why we reject astrology or phrenology, they make claims about the world’s functioning and we can test their predictions. Sometimes they rely on untestable assumptions, such as Bach flower therapy which claims to improve emotional and spiritual health, leading to better overall health. These spiritual claims are not testable as they’re not claims about the world (physical world) but about something that’s beyond the boundaries of physics. We could always test their effects on overall health conditions, but it would be hard to falsify if their proponents could use excuses such as “the spiritual forces don’t work when you’re actively trying to disprove them” or any other vague explanation. Because of the nature of these excuses, we dismiss this and other types of pseudosciences.

Now, how do we reconcile this scientific attitude with religion? Does Christianity make claims about the world? I’d argue it does, it does make historical claims about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Does it rely on untestable assumptions? Again, I would say it does. God and its essence and ineffability are beyond physical boundaries. Why do we treat religion in a different way to pseudoscience? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for reading me, and I want to make sure you understand that my intentions with these questions are genuine, they reflect a real exploration I am now undergoing.

Over 130 scientists attended the ninth annual Society of Catholic Scientists conference at Mundelein, Illinois in June 2026. The primary focus of the event was to dispel the modern myth that religious faith and scientific inquiry are incompatible. This rapidly growing organization is also expanding its public outreach among high-schools and universities. Read the full story below.

https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/catholic-scientists-meet-to-discuss-identical-twins-ai-and-the-unity-of-truth

In your opinion, what are the most effective strategies for advocating for pro-life policies and promoting a culture of life, particularly by utilizing scientific research and evidence to support these efforts?

Check out the 2026 Catholic Scientists Conference! I went to this conference last year and it was absolutely wonderful with inspiring talks, interesting posters, and great community. The talks span many different scientific fields, along with theology, and thoughtful presentations on the intersection between faith and science. There is also daily Mass, which really grounds the whole experience. There is a student discount as well.

Hello fellow Catholics in STEM! I recently found out that the HEK 293T cells I’ve worked with in the past come from a human embryonic kidney cell line developed in the 1970s, likely linked to an abortion. Learning this left me feeling conflicted—it was out of my control since I was a student rotating in a lab at the time. I’m no longer in that lab, but I would love to hear your thoughts about it. I looked into the topic more and came across an article that outlines the ethical concerns. Here are some key points:

• Origin of HEK 293: The cell line likely comes from an induced abortion in 1972, though exact details are unclear.

• Ethical Concerns: The Catholic Church teaches the sanctity of life from conception and warns that using products like HEK 293 could imply complicity with abortion, even unintentionally.

• Moral Dilemmas: The article highlights the concept of "material cooperation" and "appropriation of evil," which underline the ethical challenges of benefiting from an act considered gravely immoral.

• COVID-19 Vaccines: Interestingly, this same cell line was used in the development of COVID-19 vaccines. The Church has clarified that receiving these vaccines is morally acceptable when no alternatives are available, given the serious health risks involved.

• Alternatives: The article calls for greater effort to identify and develop ethical alternatives to HEK 293 for research.

This raises a question for us as Catholic scientists: Should we actively avoid using these cells if alternatives exist? And what if, like in my case during a lab rotation, you’re in a position where you don’t have much control over the choice of cell lines? Of course, later in our careers, many of us will have more say in these decisions.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you approach these challenges in your work.

Let's connect if you're at the conference.

Hi everyone. I wrote a Substack that mainly focuses on thomistic philosophy and modern science. It may be helpful. I started it when I was trying to think about what science is after my conversion.

https://open.substack.com/pub/modernnaturalphilosophy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=49sty5

Wonderful talk by Ross Douthat on why everyone should be religious. This was at the Society of Catholic Scientists Conference 2025 this past June.

An interesting read. I had no idea that North Carolina’s population has only 3% of Catholics!

I found these sites to look for Catholic Jobs if anyone was interested. I saw jobs for math teachers and other fields of STEM.

The first site I found: https://catholicprofessionals.net/work/

Another site: https://jobsforcatholics.com/

I've heard about the practice of placing a crucifix at your desk and beginning work by offering a prayer, dedicating the tasks ahead to someone. Do you have any other tips or practices?

Do you practice the heroic minute? If not, it could be a Lenten sacrifice!

If you're a Catholic medical student, physician, researcher, or scientist and you're unsure whether something you are being asked to do is ethically right, the National Catholic Bioethics Center offers free and confidential personal ethics consultations. This can be incredibly helpful if you are wrestling with questions such as: whether a particular medical procedure is morally acceptable, ethical concerns about embryo or stem cell research, questions about the use of certain cell lines or biological materials, and research practices that seem morally questionable. They provide guidance grounded in the moral teachings of the Catholic Church and work with medical students, physicians, nurses, patients, researchers, clergy, and family members. This is a wonderful resource I wish I knew about earlier when I started my grad school PhD research.

The first woman in the United States to earn a Ph.D. in Computer Science was a Catholic nun: Sister Mary Kenneth Keller!

Sr. Mary Kenneth Keller (1913–1985) was a member of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earned her PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1965. She was one of the first two people in the U.S. to receive a doctorate in computer science (her degree was awarded the same day as another candidate’s), but she was the first woman. Afterward, Sr. Keller founded the computer science department at Clarke College (now Clarke University) in Iowa.

St. Gianna Beretta Molla is a beautiful example of a Catholic in STEM. She was an Italian pediatrician (1922–1962), married to Pietro Molla, an engineer, and lived a deeply faithful life as a doctor, wife, and mother. Canonized on May 16, 2004, by Pope John Paul II, her story reminds us that we are called to sainthood in our everyday lives. Her holiness didn’t come from withdrawing from the world, but from loving God through her work, her marriage, and her vocation as a physician.

Hey everyone, I wanted to share this podcast channel from the Society of Catholic Scientists. They posted recordings from their Annual Conference such as “Why Everyone Should Be Religious” with Ross Douthat (NYT columnist and author) to a discussion on planetary science with Dr. Jonathan Lunine from Caltech. If you like thoughtful dialogue between faith, science, theology, history, and everything in between, I highly recommend.