Exposing the myth of conflict between science & religion

The CTS has published a new booklet on the relationship between science and religion. Science and Religion – the Myth of Conflict, by Stephen M. Barr, a Professor of Physics at the University of Delaware who does research in theoretical particle physics and cosmology, outlines the basis of the often-perceived enmity between these two vital fields.

He begins by exposing the shaky foundations on which this myth of conflict has been constructed, and then moves on to investigating important questions raised by scientific endeavour including: science and the human spiritual soul, the Big Bang, and extraterrestrial life. But first things first, let’s look at what he understands this myth to be based on:

“It is often claimed that there is a conflict between religion and science. This claim takes three forms: historical, philosophical, and scientific. The historical claim is that religious believers and institutions have been hostile to science and have tried to suppress it. This is powerfully symbolized, in the eyes of many people, by the Catholic Church’s treatment of Galileo. And the impression is constantly reinforced in the public mind by the battles against Evolution waged by fundamentalist Protestant Christians.

“The philosophical claim is that there is an inherent contradiction between the scientific and religious worldviews. Science is based on reason and evidence, whereas religion is said to be irrational, because it is based on dogma, faith and mystery, which involve belief in things that cannot be seen and for which supposedly there is no evidence.

“The scientific claim is that the actual discoveries of modern science over the last four hundred years have debunked, or at least undermined, fundamental Christian beliefs about the universe and mankind’s place in it. As the story is often told, science has dealt one blow after another to the religious conception of the world.”

It is his purpose in the booklet to show that these widespread ideas have very little factual basis. In the coming days, we will look at these and some of the other issues surrounding a robust challenge to these widely accepted paradigms.

Science and Religion: the Myth of Conflict is available from CTS priced £2.50

Of related interest:

	Creation and Science – Who created the Universe? Is a creator even necessary? Can science explain how the Universe came into being without reference to a creator God?
	Global Warming – How should we respond? – Global warming is seen as the defining issue of our generation. Does the Church believe that it is really happening, and what should Catholics do to care for our planet?
	Galileo: Science & Faith – Is the Church against Science and Reason? The Galileo controversy has become a paragon of faith’s supposed hostility towards science. This booklet explains the facts of the Galileo case and traces the subsequent development of the myth that the Catholic Church has always been the enemy of science. This history proves that even in the Galileo case, the Church remained true to its belief that faith and reason belong together.

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