Are Science and Religion Compatible?
Martina Preti
Professor McMahon
Gods, Clocks, and Visions
16 Nov. 2004 Science vs. Religion
The focus of this paper is to try and answer the questions “is science compatible with religion?” and “which one is closer to the truth?” I will answer these questions separately of course, and in the order they appear. I would however like to say that this is a topic that has been debated for most of the twentieth century by people who have much more experience in their separate fields than I do. I have read several different articles on this topic and I could not find two that said the same thing, or expressed the same opinions. This is a complicated issue that people have been debating since before I was alive, I don’t think that this issue will be resolved anytime soon either. There are many different opinions on the subject and all I can do in this paper is present mine along with the evidence to support it. Now before I begin the process of answering the first question presented, it is necessary for me to explain how I intend to do that. I will start by giving definitions of both science and religion, next I will proceed to separate out certain kinds of religion and compare them to certain scientific theories, it is my goal to show that on a certain level science and religion can be compatible, however, in order to do that one must keep an open mind. I think that part of the reason why there is so much debate over this topic is that members on both sides of the argument refuse to see things from the other side’s point of view. I think if they could do that then they might see that they are both right on certain issues. It is absurd to think that it is either a “black or white” issue sometimes there is a gray area; this is one of those times. The human race has progressed so much in the last few centuries and it is amazing to me that people can still be so archaic in their thinking, so rigid and unmoving in their beliefs, if each side
Professor McMahon
Gods, Clocks, and Visions
16 Nov. 2004 Science vs. Religion
The focus of this paper is to try and answer the questions “is science compatible with religion?” and “which one is closer to the truth?” I will answer these questions separately of course, and in the order they appear. I would however like to say that this is a topic that has been debated for most of the twentieth century by people who have much more experience in their separate fields than I do. I have read several different articles on this topic and I could not find two that said the same thing, or expressed the same opinions. This is a complicated issue that people have been debating since before I was alive, I don’t think that this issue will be resolved anytime soon either. There are many different opinions on the subject and all I can do in this paper is present mine along with the evidence to support it. Now before I begin the process of answering the first question presented, it is necessary for me to explain how I intend to do that. I will start by giving definitions of both science and religion, next I will proceed to separate out certain kinds of religion and compare them to certain scientific theories, it is my goal to show that on a certain level science and religion can be compatible, however, in order to do that one must keep an open mind. I think that part of the reason why there is so much debate over this topic is that members on both sides of the argument refuse to see things from the other side’s point of view. I think if they could do that then they might see that they are both right on certain issues. It is absurd to think that it is either a “black or white” issue sometimes there is a gray area; this is one of those times. The human race has progressed so much in the last few centuries and it is amazing to me that people can still be so archaic in their thinking, so rigid and unmoving in their beliefs, if each side
Bibliography: November 13, 2004. http://www.bede.org.uk/hierynomus.htm#part1 5) Sheehan, Helen 6) Winder, C. Science and Christianity: the Positive Attitude. February 26, 1997. Science – Christianity United, the Bottom Line. November 13, 2004 http://publish.uwo.ca/~cwinder/essay1.htm