How Science Led One Atheist to Christianity

It turns out that you can combine science and Christianity. The life and career of Dr. Sy Garte is testament to that.

Dr. Garte is currently a Visiting Professor of Toxicology at Rutgers University. He studied chemistry and physics in college and later earned a PhD in biochemistry. He worked as a researcher and professor in the field of environmental health sciences, with a focus on toxicology and risk assessment. He has also written extensively on the relationship between science and religion, particularly on the compatibility of Christianity and science.

In an interview with Capturing Christianity, Dr. Garte recounts his background, his journey from being an atheist to becoming a Christian, and his views on the relationship between science and religion.

“I grew up basically in a family of three generations of atheists,” he said. “They were not only atheists, they were very left-wing. My parents were members of the American Communist Party in the 1930s which is rare and so their atheism was very strong, very militant and that’s what I grew up with. I assumed that there could not be any such thing as God or not possible for them to be a God totally materialistic.”

Dr. Garte found that science gave him a sense of purpose and doing something good in the world, but he also felt that what he was learning in science did not align with the materialistic worldview. Something was missing in his life, which he later realized was a sense of spirituality.

“I found that science gave me a sense of purpose and doing something good in the world, but I also felt that what I was learning in science did not align with the materialistic worldview.”

Dr. Garte’s journey to faith was influenced by his studies in biochemistry and quantum theory. He found that the complexity of the process by which proteins are made in cells was incredible and he wondered how it all came to be. While many biologists attribute this complexity to evolution, Dr. Garte found this explanation to be too easy and not enough. He also learned about the observer effect in quantum theory, which did not support strict materialism.

His discomfort led him to question whether science was the only way to find truth, before finally embracing the existence of God. “I began to question whether science was the only way to find truth and eventually embraced the existence of God,” he said.

Dr Garte also had several experiences, including some dreams and a waking experience that he had to attribute to the Holy Spirit, which led him to realize that Christianity is true and Christ was real. These experiences, along with his studies, contributed to him becoming a more spiritual person. He advises people to not be afraid to ask questions and to seek out answers, even if they challenge their current beliefs.

“Science and Christian faith are absolutely not in conflict. I encourage people to keep investigating various hypotheses and to be open to the possibility that there may be more to the universe than what science can explain.”

You can watch Dr. Sy Garte’s full interview with Capturing Christianity below: