Proven

My youngest sibling's facebook status: I was recently informed that all of the elements in our body came from star dust really it's a proven scientific fact. WE WERE CREATED FROM DUST!!!!! Once again science proves that God it ALIVE. Jesus is alive and risen. Sing praise for he saved us.

One, I want to tell her that nothing in science is "proven", a concept that I continually try to convey to my general biology students.  We find evidence, support, but nothing is a "proven scientific fact" - not even gravity.  Two, I want her to realize that science can neither 'prove' nor 'disprove' the existence of a god.  Religious beliefs are subjective and unfalsifiable.  They have no place in science.  Three, I want to fix her grammar. :-D  Every facebook status of hers is riddled with run on sentences or, usually, multitudinous sentences sans punctuation.

Talking with my sister about points one and two probably wouldn't go over well in my family.  They try to be moderate in their beliefs and to not make waves.  I've done the same.  My beliefs are no longer the same as theirs, but we don't talk about it.  I think my mother would get defensive if I tried to talk to my sister about these things - mom already has two children that no longer attend church, she doesn't want to lose the third.  In any case it's a journey my sister has to take on her own.  She's only 18 and at that time I had some qualms, but nothing really upset my belief system back then.  She may be devout her entire life, but I hope that she has roots for why instead of blind faith.  Maybe her faith will be stronger than mine ever was.