05.08.08

Super and substitions; Darwinism and religion

Posted in Science & Religion, Evolution at 2:28 pm by nemo

Best of both worlds
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Boxers or briefs? Liberal or Conservative? Spicy or mild? When given two options, we often can only choose one. But when the options are science and religion, people shouldn’t be dismissed as unreasonable if they choose both.

Books denouncing religion as superstition have enjoyed lofty positions on bestseller lists recently. The authors, the so-called “new” atheists, would like us to believe that science and religion are mutually exclusive. This kind of aggressive atheism is itself a kind of fundamentalism, and fortunately some thoughtful scientists are objecting to it.

In his new book Darwin’s Gift to Science and Religion, Francisco J. Ayala, an eminent evolutionary biologist, expresses his opinion that belief in evolution can coincide with belief in God. A former Dominican priest, Mr. Ayala claims that while science allows us to find “material explanations for material processes,” it cannot be used to prove or disprove God’s existence. Furthermore, the idea that only atheists can truly embrace evolution is bad for religion and science, he argues.

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Font:****Mr. Ayala’s approach conflicts with that of Richard Dawkins, also an eminent evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion. Mr. Dawkins has no kind words for traditional religion. He believes that raising children in a religious tradition amounts to child abuse. He accuses the winners of The Templeton Prize, awarded annually to people who seek to bridge the gap between religious and scientific thought, of being intellectually dishonest. No fan of humility, he has even encouraged non-believers to refer to themselves as “brights.”

Professional atheists are often clever, but not terribly subtle or nuanced. The view that religious believers are by definition imbeciles is hardly a useful one, and certainly not an accurate one. Besides, there are many reasons why people have spiritual yearnings, not all of which can be dismissed as brainwashing. Some scientists have even suggested there are evolutionary underpinnings to a belief in a creator or ultimate authority.

By setting religion and science against each other, like two opposing teams, the atheists make it difficult for some religious people to accept scientific processes. It’s as though believers are being asked to choose between, say, God or evolution. No wonder some believers then twist their minds in knots to find new ways of explaining how the physical world works. Thus we end up with theories like Intelligent Design, the “bad” science that Mr. Ayala dismisses in his book.

Even supporters of Mr. Dawkins and the other new atheists have recommended that the group change their approach, perhaps by toning down the arrogance. One physicist who is also a staunch opponent of creationism was quoted saying that “Science does not make it impossible to believe in God. We should recognize that fact and live with it and stop being so pompous about it.”

In the end, individuals make sense of the universe in their own way. We read about science and philosophy and religion. We discuss ideas. We believe in things that, for whatever reason, appeal to us. We dismiss things that don’t. And sometimes, when given two choices, we find a way that allows us to choose both. That’s doesn’t make us delusional or dishonest, just human.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

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