A Clash of Paradigms
Currently in the United States there are two paradigms that are competing for explaining the universe and our place in it.
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Religious: predominantly Judeo–Christian
- There are other religions.
- But, the Judeo–Christian perspective is the most predominant and therefore the one I will deal with in this talk.
- If we had more time we could discuss other religious world views and how they relate to these issues.
- Scientific
Three Perspectives
In an order to create some kind of order out of the chaos of the religion/science debate I am going to use a classification system that divides the debate into three different approaches:
- Conflict
- Independence
- Dialogue/Integration
1. Conflict
Individuals in this category believe that a person cannot believe in both evolution (i.e. macroevolution) and God.
Scientific Materialism
- Individuals in this group consider the fundamental reality of the universe to be matter; i.e., matter is all that there is in the universe (there is no spiritual realm at all).
- Natural laws act on matter to explain everything.
- The universe is ultimately mindless and purposeless (except for whatever temporary meaning mankind gives it).
- Therefore, the scientific method is the only reliable path to knowledge about this universe.
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Famous individuals in this group:
Biblical Literalist
- Individuals in this group believe the Bible is literally true.
- They believe the universe is very young—about 6000 years old.
- They believe there is more to the universe than just natural laws acting on matter.
- They believe in a spiritual realm with a God who gives meaning to the universe.
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Individuals in this group:
New Critiques
- Individuals in this group see the theory of evolution as wrong but critique it from different perspectives.
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Famous individuals in this group:
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Phillip Johnson
- Has written a number of books, the most famous is Darwin on Trial.
- Johnson is a lawyer who has raised criticism of scientific materialists who promote atheistic philosophies as if they were a part of science.
- He attacks evolutionary theory as if it were inherently atheistic.
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Michael Behe
- His book, Darwin's Black Box made a significant “splash” several years ago when it was first published.
- Behe is a biochemist who argues that the “irreducible complexity” of biochemical systems show that they cannot be the product of gradual evolution.
- Therefore, Behe assumes life must have originated through a predetermined divine plan of intelligent design rather than a dynamic open-ended process in which interaction with a changing environment plays a critical role.
2. Independence
- Individuals in this second approach to the religion/science debates believe the way to avoid conflict is to keep the two fields in separate compartments.
- They believe that science and religion each have their own jurisdictions and should not meddle in the affairs of the other.
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They believe that science and religion:
- Ask different questions: how versus why questions.
- Study different domains: the objective, material world versus the spiritual, moral world.
- Employ different methods: science is based on human observation and reason whereas religion is based on divine revelation.
Religious Perspective
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Christians, Jews, or Muslims of this persuasion give scripture a central religious role without insisting on biblical literalism or defending Creation Science.
- They take the Bible seriously, but not literally.
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Some think God is a primary cause who works through the secondary causes of the natural world that science studies:
- “God acts through the laws of nature, using them as instruments for achieving intended goals.” — William Stoeger, a Jesuit scientist
Scientific Perspective
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The most famous individual who advocates this view is Stephen Jay Gould.
- He considered himself an agnostic and articulated a principle called non-overlapping magesteria (NOMA).
- A magesterium is a domain of teaching authority. Each domain has its own distinctive questions, rules, and criteria of judgment.
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The magesterium of science covers the empirical realm:
- What is the universe made of? (facts)
- Why does it work this way? (theories)
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The magesterium of religion extends over questions of:
- Ultimate meaning
- Moral value
3. Dialogue/Integration
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Individuals in this category are seeking to find a middle way that reconciles science and religion.
- They do not see science and religion as an either/or way of viewing the universe.
- They believe that a dialogue between the two ways of knowing the universe can come to a deeper understanding of the universe.
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The many different research agendas make it impossible to make a simple characterization of this perspective.
- Rather than trying to elucidate any particular perspective, this lecture will simply direct you to resources that you can use to discover the different views.
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The Catholic Church
- The church has been deeply involved in this dialogue.
- The Pope has sponsored a number of conferences over the past fifteen years at the Vatican with world famous scientists and theologians in an attempt to find common ground between science and the Catholic faith.
- In 1996 the Pope published an important statement on evolution and its relationship to the nature of man.
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The Center for Theology and Natural Sciences
- One of the premier places for serious academic research in this field.
- Located in Berkeley
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Counterbalance
- A non-profit educational organization working to promote counterbalanced perspectives on complex issues.
- Underwritten by one of the originators of Microsoft Word, Adrian Wyard.
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The John Templeton Foundation
- Goal: to encourage a fresh appreciation of the critical importance—for all peoples and cultures—of the moral and spiritual dimensions of life.
- Established by the famous investor, Sir John Templeton.
- Sponsors conferences around the world in which they bring together important scientists and religious thinkers.
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Book: When Science Meets Religion, by Ian Barbour
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In my humble opinion, this is the best book on the subject.
- This lecture is based on his book.
- Disclaimer: I took some direct quotations from his book without citing them for smoothness of lecturing.
- Available in our school library.
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Barbour won the Templeton Prize in Religion in 1999.