Science & Religion
A commentary
by the Washington
Post’s Michael Gerson that was reprinted
in the Akron Beacon Journal today, reminds us that only the far-right
biblical literalists insist on seeing a fight to the death between science and religion around every corner.
The science behind the big bang theory includes ‘some of the most regularly confirmed,
noncontroversial findings of modern science. Yet a recent poll found that a
majority of Americans is “not too” or
“not at all” confident that “the universe began 13.8 billion years ago with a
big bang.”
…The idea of a
universe that began in a flash that flung stars, galaxies and clusters of
galaxies across the vast canvas of space is, to put it mildly, compatible with
Jewish and Christian belief: “Let there be light.”
So why this
theological resistance to scientific assertions that are intuitively consistent
with Christian theological views? The polls don’t settle this question, but I
can hazard a guess. Many conservative Christians equate modern science with
materialism…. Science is often viewed as
an alternative theology, with a competing creation story. Some religious
communities define themselves by resisting this rival faith — and filter
evidence to reinforce their identity.
Gerson notes that picking anti-science as your line in the
sand is just not like to stand the test of time, as your younger generations
will see your blinders and blunders in the marvels of science all around us. He also argues that this anti-science
strategy is not necessary, because while there are multiple types of knowledge,
the ‘scientific method is the proper way
— actually the only way — to understand the physical universe.
The problem comes when
materialism, claiming the authority of science, denies the possibility of all
other types of knowledge — reducing human beings to a bag of chemicals and all
their hopes and loves to the firing of neurons. Or when religion exceeds its
bounds and declares the Earth to be 6,000 years old. In both cases, the
besetting sin is the same: the arrogant exclusive claim to know reality.’
While anyone who has read Kuhn knows that Gerson is
overstated by oversimplifying the power of the scientific method, his larger
point seems spot on. With so many real
conflicts to address, why do we spend so much energy, and waste so many lives,
waging a war between science & religion?