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?