What does a scientific theory mean to a religious person?

To me (faithful not religious) a theory is a great idea that hasn't been proven yet

Actually there is no real difference between science theory and any other type of theory!!! Seriously. Good science theories tend to have evidence to back them up but sometimes some pretty solid ones are discarded like Newton's laws. These are now seen as an approximation. The only theory I know religious people (mostly christians) question is evolution. Certainly, its not an easy theory to conclusively prove but we don't have any better theories and we certainly do see some general patterns. It is a HUGE mistake to think that evolution and creationism (intelligent design or what not) are the ONLY explanations. There may be others. Just because we don't have them does not mean they don't exist. Again, relativity and the like, were unheard of until the 20 century start. Biology is far more complicated than physics to study.

According to the famous physicist and Nobel Prize winner, Albert Einstein, "Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

If a thoery doesnt contradict with teachings of religion then there is no harm in accepting it. like science has now came with a Big Bang Theory just a few years back. (may be 100 at the most ). But Quran has explained this 1400 years ago.

"Do not the Unbelievers see That the heavens and the earth Were joined together (as one Unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder?" [Al-Qur'aan 21:30]

thats what Big Bang Theory says...But yes there is a difference between a fact and theory.But for a religious person a scientific thoery can turn into an established fact if the religiuos scripture support it.

Over the years science has proven more than 70% of scientific facts, correct that are mentioned in Quran. the remaining 30% are theories for the world..the science has not advanced yet to prove but God willing in a few years time 100% of Quran will be proven correct..thing to remember here that not 1% Quran is proven wrong yet..

I'm a practicing Hindu, so there isn't any conflict between science and religion. Hinduism embraces science, often using it to point to what the ancient sages who have written so much of the sacred literature, were trying to say. Hinduism does not fear science. The Big Bang is explainable by Hindus would say that it sounds very much like the ancient creation story which says that the Divine manifested everything in the universe, but that the point where time, space, matter, and consciousness exist is still area where the Divine exists on this plane of existance (although science says that consciousness is a byproduct of the mind, Hindus would say it is seperate from the mind, but that is still being debated by psychologists to this day...and was for a while by Hindu sages). Thus from the Infinite the Infinite has come forth, as one Hindu prayer says. Thus scientific theory and the scientific method are often sometimes similar to how Hindus, especially the sages, often have explored the complexities and simplicities of this vast religion.

Scientific theories are often incorporated into religion. For instance, non-literalist Christians believe that the big bang and evolution happened, and that the Bible is simply an illustration of the fact that it was God who made the big bang happen, thus prompting evolution. Christian Scientists also believe a lot of scientific theory.

The general belief behind a lot of religions is that science is real (and thus it's theories may be believable or provable) but that the driving force behind everything that happens is God.

It means nothing to them.The bible is their truth.Some say that it's just a theory,but a theory has evidence.Creationism has no evidence.Anyone could have made up a story about how life came about after the fact.Some give so many reasons why they don't believe it,but don't even bother to research.I guess, deep down they are afraid they will find something that really convinces them that it is true.

A theory is based on evidence.

The evolution theory has never been disproven,Creationism has.

Sorry christians,but I am entitled to my beliefs that are based on facts.

A scientific theory is just some hint that God gave us about the truth we do not know yet.

Theories not yet proven could not be denied either, and Book's letter not compulsory taken ad litteram... then i see no reason a clever, i'll say wise religious person could not admit or even study theories, as part of God's Will.

Many good scientists are religous, and they know perfectly well what a theory is, and what it is for. The religous people who deliberately confuse it with the common meaning of "idea" or "guess" are either deliberately lying, or quoting a religous authority who lied to them

I'd like to excerpt from Hank Fox:

"If you can destroy the ability of words to convey clear meaning, you can destroy the ability of your victims to think clearly.

Anytime you're dealing with creationists, you'll find DELIBERATE lies and confusion about the meaning of the words involved.

The word "theory" is the obvious example. If you engage in a discussion with an anti-evolutionist, it's almost comical how they will squirm out of even THINKING about the word in any sense except the colloquial one: "a wild, off-the-cuff conjecture." (I’ve talked to people whom I couldn’t even get to admit the word had any other meaning.)

"Theory" means what THEY want it to mean ... and they won’t even ADMIT it might have some other meaning. Because to admit the other, technical meaning, would eventually start corroding their ability to think in the way they think. It would invite clarity, solidity, reality into their heads, and that would, if they continued on with it, eventually destroy their religion. As far as they’re concerned, it would kill their god, kill their morality, kill their hope.

To even attempt to talk about science, and to simultaneously hold to their religious notions, they have to redefine words to fuzzier, more confusing meanings, so that they leave huge conceptual holes where their religion can continue to exist. "

I am a religious person, and quite frankly I think a theory is simply the best guess that humanity as a whole has developed to explain something, based on what (we assume) we already know.

that the earth is flat was once a viable thoery...