Can science and religion ever coexist?

Question

More specifically, can they find a common ground? Or is it possible that god meant for us to find the connection between science and religion as described by dan brown in the novel 'angels and demons'?

Personally I don't see why people find it so hard to believe that god created the world via our scientific theories.

Answer 1

Well, they both exist now. ;)



Common ground? No, they can't and shouldn't. Science is about knowledge, religion is about belief. Take any issue at all where science and religion overlap. If they both agree, religion is superfluous. Where they disagree, science is right. Where there is no overlap, there is no overlap and science and religion have nothing to do with each other.



You are free as a bee to point at *all* of science and say, "god did that." It's not necessary at all, but I certainly can't complain.



The main reason there can be no overlap is that god cannot be described in a scientific manner. We can't observe it, test for it, measure it, etc., not even indirectly. There is therefore no reason to presume its existence.



Is it possible there is a god? Absolutely, but it is quite unlikely by my estimation. What kind of evidence would be required? We'd have to be able to define god in a meaningful scientific way so that we can observe it, test for it, measure it, etc. Can you think of any way at all that we could do all those things with god where it would still be god?

Answer 2

I guess they already do co-exist.

Science does not have much common ground with religion.

Religion deals with "spiritual" things ,some of which can not be scientifically proven. The idea or concept of God can not be proven through scientific methods .However ,there is no way scientists can prove God is a myth either .What type of science experiment can be set up to prove or disapprove God's existence? It, so far has not been done , and who know's if it will ever be done in the near future .

I have not read Dan Brown's book so I can't comment on it.

Religion deals with mysteries ,some of which can not be explained scientifically .On the other hand some of it can .

Some scientific methods are flawed .They claim to know everything when in fact they don't .Their theories are forever changing.At one stage ,Charles Darwin's theories were accepted as fact ,now they are proven flawed and replace with new theories .They said in the past, that sunlight was needed for life to exist ,now they find life forms that exist without light .There were Time magazine articles saying "Is God Dead ?" , we are still here 30 years later trying to figure out the answer to that question .

Some of Albert Einstein's theories have been proven to be false and flawed(though a lot are proven to be very accurate and truthful) as were Sir Isaac Newton's .

People are not sure if the universe is made of the 10 string or the newer 11 string theory . That is 10 or 11 dimensions. The theories and counter-theories abound .

There is a large amount of "unknown" in the real world that has yet to be "discovered" by scientists and for them to formulate theories .

Answer 3

It is clear that science and religion can coexist in some sense, because many scientists are religious. However, there seems to be a serious dichotomy in that religion is usually based on faith, while science is always based on the scientific method of observation, hypothesis, experiment, and theory.



The question is difficult to answer more precisely, because the word "religion" means so many different things to different people, as is obvious from your varied answers to this question.



It is instructive, however, to understand that many -- though not all -- scientists who consider themselves religious base their religion on their sense of awe over the wonders of nature. This is very different from most religion.

Answer 4

Increasingly, I think it will be harder for them to coexist. Science keeps chipping away at religious dogma by disproving things more and more.

From an earth centered universe, the Flat World, the age of the world and universe, and evolution, genetics, and a host of other issues, religion has to go on the defensive. Science just keeps chugging along, disproving the age of artifacts, finding linguistic and historical inaccuracies in the bible. Faith has to remain strong in this, so strong it has to ignore hard evidence to protect itself from such scientific jabs.



The only way religion can win I think is by drumming up the fears, distrust and hatred of its faithful. It has to promote ignorance in science, history and philosophy, teaching their flocks to disdain such learning as ultimately sinful. This tactic may ultimately work, as it has worked before.



It takes a long time to create higher learning and science, and only a few generations to lose it. It's even quicker if you can rustle up a crusade or inquistition from your faithul to render people ignorant and sheepish.

Answer 5

Yes sceince and religion do coexist.



I will try to be as precise as possible



Scientific theories do show how God created life.



These facts are admitted by evolutionists themselves

And I sincerely appologise if I missed the point or swayed of the topic or if I couldn't satisfy you



This is a rather long answer but it definately convinced me that God does exist and science is used to prove it.



You see, some people tend to believe that science and religion do not mix, this is not the case. You can believe in God and use science to find out Why? God created it that way.



(1) 'Unfortunately, the origin of the cell remains a question which is actually the darkest point of the evolution theory'



Alexander I. Oparin, "The Origin of Life", New York Dover Publications, p.196



(2) 'More than 30 years of experimentation on the origin in the fields of chemical and molecular evolution have led to a better perceptio of the immensity of



the problem of the origin of life on Earth rather than to its solution. At prsent all discussions on the principal theories and experiments in the field are



either in stalemate or in a confession of ignorance.'



Professor Klaus Dose, "The Origin of Life: More Questions Than Answers", Interdiciplinary Sceince Reviews, Vol 13 No. 4, p.348



(3) "The most elementary type of cell constitutes a 'mechanism' unimaginably more complex than any machine yet thought up, let alone constructed, by man"



W.R. Bird, "The Origin of Species Revisited.", Nashville: Thomas Nelson Co., pp. 298-99



(4) '...we would find ourselves in a world of suprmeme technology and bewildering complexity byond our creative capacities, a reality which is the cery



antithesis of chance, which excels in every sense anything produce by the intelligent man'



Biologist, Professor Michael Denton, "A Theory in Crisis".



(5) 'The chance that life could have been formed by evolution is comparavle with the chance of a tornado sweeping through a junk yard might assemble a



functional Boeing 747 from the materials therein'



Sir Fred Hoyle "Nature: Hoyle on Evolution", Vol 294, p.105



(6) 'The spontaneous formation of a polypeptide of the size of the smallest known proteins (Let alone cells, composition of protiens) seems beyond all



probability'



W.R. Bird, "The Origin of Species Revisite

Answer 6

Certainly some sciences can coexist with religion, because they do not challenge religion's claims. However I do not believe that any science that touches on anything religion also touches can coexist with religion.

Answer 7

Yes they can. Many Christians like myself have no problem with a big bang, or God working in an evolutionary process. Day is used figuratively for a period of time in many scriptures, and the day/age theory of the creation believes there can be millions to billions of years between the days.



The order for the creation parallels the same order science gives. First comes the heavens (stars, etc.), then an empty earth without form, then land followed by oceans, then plant life followed by the first intelligent life in the sea, then comes birds (which according to science are descendants of dinosaurs), then mammals, then a more specific wild animal, and finally man. It's actually amazing that it gives an order 3,000 plus years before science confirms that same order.



Adam is not created until after the seventh day, and the day/age theory believes the man created on the sixth day is not the same as Adam who is first mentioned after the seventh day. That allows for cave men, and explains where Adam and Eve's children found wives, since there were people before them.



As far as intellegent design, when some Christians latch onto a world that is 6,000 years old, the thought of "not intelligent" comes to my mind. They need to be convinced that science is not the enemy, that science actually corroborates the biblical order. Likewise, non-religionists need to explain how Genesis came up with the same order as science, considering how that might relate to intelligent design.

Answer 8

Bible and science common grounds.



Earth is hanging in space mentioned in Job 26:7

Earth is round not flat (as believed by many before). Prophet Isaiah accurately described the earth is Isaiah 40:22

Water cycle was described in Eccl 1:7





HEre are some articles from our official website. I hope you'll find time reading these..



RECONCILING Science and Religion

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20020608/article_01.htm



Does Science Contradict the Genesis Account?

http://www.watchtower.org/e/200609a/article_01.htm



Can Science Help You to Find God?

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040622/article_01.htm



THE EARTH Was it “Founded” by Chance?

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20001008/article_03.htm

Answer 9

Hm. Yes and no. Religion can accept science as Catholics can accept evolution. However, you will never see science accept the claims of a religion unless that religion has evidence or proof to back it up as it would not be scientific otherwise.

Answer 10

Depends on what kind of religion. As a Catholic, I have not seen any contradiction between the bible and science.

Answer 11

Science and religion harmonize....



RECONCILING Science and Religion

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20020608/article_01.htm



Is It Unscientific to Believe in God?

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040622/article_01.htm



Why Some Scientists Believe in God

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040622/article_02.htm



In Their Own Words

http://www.watchtower.org/e/20040622/diagram_01.htm

Answer 12

God is Omnipotent and created all of existence.



God could have created a universe that works on random ways. Instead, God CHOSE to create a world that works in orderly, understandable ways.



God created Mankind unique among all life in that we are endowed with a mind capable af understanding How creation works.



Therefor, it would seem that Science, which is that rational exploration of the mechanisms of God's creation, would have to be among the most Godly actions Mankind can undertake.

Answer 13

Science does not compromise for religion.

For them to meet on common ground, religion must concede almost everything.



Christians will not like me saying this, but really, I'd love them to tell me one religious belief that is compatible with known science.

Answer 14

No. Religion was a placeholder. People used it to satisfy their curiosity before science figured out what actually happened.

Answer 15

I believe you're onto something.



Isn't it possible that science and religion can co-exist? Possibly supporting each other?

Answer 16

Not the way contemporary science is there can't be.

Answer 17

Not likely.



Science is the uncompromising search for truth.

Religion is assuming you know the truth and refusing to change your mind no matter what.

Answer 18

.

There is only ONE area where science and religion do not co-exist!



And that is the LIES of evilution - everywhere else they are in harmony!



The main reason that some want to believe the religion of evilution is that they

do not want to be beholding to the Creator God !



<:)))><

Answer 19

oF COURE THEY COEXIST.



sEE the science of god BY gERALD sCROEDER OR



any of several books by Hugh Ross, the astronomer who founded Reasons to Believe.



I just heard of a book by the guy who headed the human genome project, called THE LANGUAGE OF GOD.

Answer 20

they clash



science aims to find answers, religion says "Godidit".



the answerer below proves my point.

Answer 21

Only if you're educated.

Answer 22

They already do.



http://www.icr.edu/home/