Science and Religion

So, Paul's post on religion and science got me thinking, and here is my response. Yes, I am so important that I get to have a whole post serve as my response, not just a short little blurb on the comment section of Paul's page. Ok, so here goes...


Science and Religion are not mutually exclusive. Science seeks to answer questions about the nature of the world. So does religion. So it seems like either one discipline will have an answer or the other will. And in most instances, this is the case. Religion had an answer for the movement of the Sun, until science came along and explained that away, supplanting religion's answer, and in a sense religion.

And this has happened over and over. Religion has an answer, then Science comes in and provides a different answer. But religion has not gone away. When science comes in and makes an explanation, religion shifts to accommodate science. Paul sees this as a sign that science and religion cannot co-exist, that science is slowly replacing religion, and that at some point religion will cease to be. These ideas are all tied in together, I feel, and so I will try to add my opinions as I see fit.


Science will not completely replace religion because of the incompleteness of science in comparison to the world. Every day science is answering questions. However, every day thousands more questions are being asked. Science will never have all of the answers; religion will always have answers that science has not gotten to yet. As such, religion will never be supplanted by science completely. I cannot foresee a time when science has answered ALL of the questions, simply because I believe that questions about the world are limitless and infinite. As such, there will always be some answers that are only provided by religion, and not by science. So religion will continue to exist, and science will continue to exist. Perhaps science will answer some questions that religion used to answer, but that does not nullify what religion stands for.


My second point is about the co-existence of science and religion. Before I get to my main point, I think I should digress and ask Paul what his definition of "religion" is. I personally feel that a key aspect of religion is faith. While religion might have other aspects, that is not the point that I am arguing right now.


I will continue this discussion with this idea of religion in mind. I believe that science already co-exists with religion, it just hasn't admitted it yet. The reason that I think this is because we have examples of science relying on faith to prove its answers. The most persuasive example will be related presently. Science relies on mathematics for answers, because mathematics is a system of logic that is very well adapted for demonstrating the answers that science provides. However, mathematics itself is predicated on faith. I am referring to the famous Goedel's theorem of Incompleteness, seen here. This is a demonstration that in mathematics, there are certain ideas that cannot be proven, but must be believed to be true in order for the system of mathematics to remain consistent. So in relying on mathematics, Science is relying on faith to prove its answers. It works like a house of cards. Every card depends upon every card for stability and support. If one card in the house rests on faith, then no matter how thoroughly the rest of the house has been researched and documented, those cards still rest on faith. Goedel's Theorem shows that math, at one level or another, depends on faith - depends on something that cannot be proven. Science builds its house of cards on Math, which has a card relying on faith. See where I'm going with this?

If Science and religion both share the aspect of faith, then really, are they that much different? (That was a rhetorical question - if you answer it, you smell worse than Alex at her smelliest.) The point is, Science and Religion share very important characteristics, and are in some instances beginning to merge.


I think there may come a time when Science and Religion work together to answer questions about life, the universe and everything. After all, we are seeing an upsurge of examples, like Colombia University's Center for the Study of Science and Religion, where theologians and scientists come together to debate and discuss how science and religion can together influence new technologies and new answers provided by science. Another example is the Journal "Science and Spirit", found here. A third example is can be seen here.


The point is, far from seeing examples of a divergence of science and religion, we are beginning to see a movement to unify the two disciplines.



This is my counter to Paul. Hope it has been helpful.


Your moment of Zen:
Jon Stewert is hosting the Oscar's. Should be Hi-larious.