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myspace lui dickie

Science and Religion – in conflict?

It makes good television, a nice heated argument, a row will always attract a good audience, people like it don’t they?
Whilst this may be true, what does it say for the depth of analysis if we are only out to be controversial, or to raise the viewing figures?
Not much I suspect.
The trouble is this seems to be the approach to this whole debate, and I suggest lessen the value and contribution that both have to bring to the discussion.
It is after all not a world that can be defined by either, but by both - a world where every question whether theological or scientific can ever be answered, not to mention the ones we haven’t even asked yet!

It seems to me that both science and religion are asking questions, but fundamentally different ones. It has been described as the same search but in different directions

In one sense, science could be said to be asking questions in the “horizontal” the how questions if you like:
How did it all begin, how will it end, how do all the processes in between work?
Whereas religion could be said to be asking the “vertical questions” why?
Why do I exist? Why am I here?
This is by no means the whole story, but gives us a hint of the different thinking and believing that may be necessary to come to some certainty about things.
There are after all some things we can be certain of, God is love for instance, or the fact that things fall (Gravity): of these things we can be sure, but there is much that is not certain, and I guess its over these things that we discuss and share.

So, I see it as not conflicting but complementary, we are all seeking something, truth, answers, meaning, purpose, (all of these words need defining) or whatever, but just as you don’t look in the meat isle of the supermarket for washing powder, so don’t look to theology to answer questions about scientific processes, and vice versa.
Difference is good, when I talk with someone who thinks differently to me and we engage in a positive discussion, share ideas and opinions, and allow that engagement to shape us both, this is good, this is tolerant this is learning, this is growth.
A good discussion creates light, not heat.

So what are we to make of these leviathans of thought and opinion?
Perhaps a couple of long words might help?
Ontological and Epistemology
To abbreviate then:
Ontology could be said to study concepts of reality and knowable things, and generally asserts that what can been seen, observed, measured etc, is actually the case.
Epistemology could be said to be about analysing the nature of knowledge and how it relates to similar notions such as truth, and belief
Although not by any means exhaustive, the above, essentially 2 different approaches that are complementary(?) may give us a clue how Science and Religion look for answers to some of life’s great questions.

This piece is an exercise for me in trying to work out my own thoughts on this, if you would like to join me in this exercise please feel free at:
markjeffery@dsl.pipex.com
or at
http://cascaid.pbwiki.com