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COMMON GROUND (between fact-based science and faith-based religion)?

Biology (def. Am. Heritage Dictionary) n.
The science of living organisms and life processes, including the study of structure, functioning, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living organisms.



The battle line is, as it has ever been, in biology (Edward O. Wilson)



Edward O. Wilson, Frank B. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science and Curator in Entomology of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University. "So, will science and religion find common ground, or at least agree to divide the fundamentals into mutually exclusive domains? A great many well-meaning scholars believe that such rapprochement is both possible and desirable. A few disagree, and I am one of them. I think Darwin would have held to the same position. The battle line is, as it has ever been, in biology. The inexorable growth of this science continues to widen, not to close, the tectonic gap between science and faith-based religion."

"Rapprochement may be neither possible nor desirable. There is something deep in religious belief that divides people and amplifies societal conflict. In the early part of this century, the toxic mix of religion and tribalism has become so dangerous as to justify taking seriously the alternative view, that humanism based on science is the effective antidote, the light and the way at last placed before us."

"Religions continue both to render their special services and to exact their heavy costs. Can scientific humanism do as well or better, at a lower cost? Surely that ranks as one of the great unanswered questions of philosophy. It is the noble yet troubling legacy that Charles Darwin left us."

(Edward O. Wilson. 2005. Intelligent Evolution: The consequences of Charles Darwin's "one long argument". Harvard magazine (online). http://www.harvardmagazine.com/on-line/110518.html)




Here is another statement by bishop Pena: ... "and that the world itself, that is, the universe cannot be ultimately explained by reason, except by posting a first, uncaused cause. That uncaused cause is what we call God." (Bishop Raymundo Pena)



A first uncaused cause? That sounds like the Big Bang. OK, touche', I can go along with that. It is perhaps, then, just a question of terminology. If it will allow my religious college students to accept evolution as a fact, I will acknowledge that what caused the Big Bang -- maybe an energy source is an uncaused cause. To not completely turn some religious students away from discussing evolution I have always stated in my classes that perhaps God was the "spark" that started it all billions of years ago. Then evolution proceeded, without God... At least the idea is, that when we become more and more educated -- graduate from 6th grade (as Bill Maher stated above), our thinking about the world will become more mature -- away from Sunday school stories. (But for some reason it doesn't always work that way, as can be learned from the reading assignments for the Education Class discussion.)

Humanism based on science, as suggested by E.O. Wilson (above), sounds like a nice future -- a little like a Star Trek world perhaps. But that is another discussion.






So, is there common ground? Perhaps the two persons below can give us an indication?










x Understanding Creationism (and Evolution) with your Stool


x View the x video below and be amazed how creationism and evolution is explained using sit stools. "Your humble stool provides a useful tool for understanding the arguments of Creationists and advocates of Intelligent Design (as well as Evolution)." Brilliant! x
Enjoy!






We have established that the battle line is, as it has ever been, in biology.

Aha! That is why we are having this discussion!

To proceed to the Conclusion click on the link in the left frame or click here.








































































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