We had 23 people show up tonight for our conversation about the relationship of science and religion.
The quick version is this: Both science and religion are a part of the human quest for truth. Science asks how the universe functions. Religion asks what life means.
Science can tell us how the universe will end or that we have a terrible disease, but it cannot tell us how to live with that ending and with our own death.
Both Einstein and Darwin made powerful critique’s of Christianity. But then Jesus did too.
Religion has sometimes, maybe often, participated in some terrible things. Each religion has weak points that can be exploited to promote violence against others. Great thinkers and religious leaders have all pointed out these weaknesses.
But then science has its weaknesses too. Einstein and Darwin both recognized that science can tell us how to manipulate our world, but falls short of providing the ethical reflection necessary to decide what to do with this know-how. We can spit the atom and destroy the planet. We can mass produce cars and change the atmosphere and change our climate.
When we understand the difference between science and religion we can recognize that each have an honored and respected place in our common search for truth.
But this honor and respect will not be found in the defensive certitude of the creationists and scientific naturalists.
Creationists misuse science to promote their worldview, which they say is the only correct one.
Scientific naturalists say that the only truth comes from the scientific method.
But there are many people who are open to a conversation between science and religion and are able to respect both on its own terms.