Best of both worlds: Science & Religions: Evolution & God

The Ottawa Citizen today published a review of a new book, Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion, by Francisco J. Ayala, an eminent evolutionary biologist.

Boxers or briefs? Liberal or Conservative? Spicy or mild? When given two options, we often can only choose one. But when the options are science and religion, people shouldn't be dismissed as unreasonable if they choose both.

Books denouncing religion as superstition have enjoyed lofty positions on bestseller lists recently. The authors, the so-called "new" atheists, would like us to believe that science and religion are mutually exclusive. This kind of aggressive atheism is itself a kind of fundamentalism, and fortunately some thoughtful scientists are objecting to it.

In his new book Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion, Francisco J. Ayala, an eminent evolutionary biologist, expresses his opinion that belief in evolution can coincide with belief in God. A former Dominican priest, Mr. Ayala claims that while science allows us to find "material explanations for material processes," it cannot be used to prove or disprove God's existence. Furthermore, the idea that only atheists can truly embrace evolution is bad for religion and science, he argues.

Mr. Ayala's approach conflicts with that of Richard Dawkins, also an eminent evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion. Mr. Dawkins has no kind words for traditional religion. He believes that raising children in a religious tradition amounts to child abuse. . .  

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By setting religion and science against each other, like two opposing teams, the atheists make it difficult for some religious people to accept scientific processes. It's as though believers are being asked to choose between, say, God or evolution. No wonder some believers then twist their minds in knots to find new ways of explaining how the physical world works. Thus we end up with theories like Intelligent Design, the "bad" science that Mr. Ayala dismisses in his book.

Even supporters of Mr. Dawkins and the other new atheists have recommended that the group change their approach, perhaps by toning down the arrogance. One physicist who is also a staunch opponent of creationism was quoted saying that "Science does not make it impossible to believe in God. We should recognize that fact and live with it and stop being so pompous about it."

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I certainly agree with this: "Thus we end up with theories like Intelligent Design, the 'bad' science that Mr. Ayala dismisses in his book." Off now to order the book from Amazon.