Science vs. Faith or Science and Faith?

Glenn Ricketts

If you follow the comment threads in places where anything concerning science is being discussed, you've probably noticed how little it takes to get some posters really apoplectic about the dangers to scientific inquiry posed by "fundamentalists," "creationists" or other assorted religious cranks and yahoos. Interestingly enough, virtually all of the science reportage I'm referring to isn't even remotely connected to the religion/science controversy. Nevertheless, the discussion doesn't get very far before someone weighs in with dark warnings about the fate of Galileo, the Scopes trial and McCarthyism [not scientific, I know but it gets in there anyway], along with much less decorous references to "bigots," "Christofascists," or "witch burners." Such dangerous people do exist, but it's pretty hard to find any of them on most college campuses. So why is it necessary to do battle with them when they don't even show up? More than that: even if no one says anything about religious belief at all in these venues, it's not the least unusual to encounter unprovoked, stern admonitions about the incompatibility of science and faith. Curious, to say the least.

In this light, I'm hoping that something productive will come from a new initiative sponsored by the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, a Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion (DoSER), the subject of this piece today at Inside Higher Ed. One purpose will be to "facilitate communication" between science and religious belief, since the two are so often seen as mutually exclusive, and some commenters have already jumped in to insist that it must ever be so. Hopefully though, the tone of the "dialogue" can at least become a bit more civil, particularly on the part of those who so often mount a stiff defense when no one attacks.

  • Share

Most Commented

July 30, 2024

1.

Don’t Cry for Them, Academia

The dark secret of anti-Semitism is that ignorance alone cannot explain it away or absolve those who adhere to it. If anything, the most vivid episodes of history’s anti-Semitism have......

September 6, 2024

2.

Professor Alleges "Widespread" Discriminatory Hiring Coverup at University of Washington

Audio acquired by the National Association of Scholars describes allegations of coverup race-based hiring coverup at the University of Washington...

June 20, 2024

3.

Remembering Warren Winiarski

Peter Wood writes on the passing of Warren Winiarski, a long-time supporter and friend of the National Association of Scholars, who sought to cultivate civilization and the liberal arts......

Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

September 6, 2024

2.

Professor Alleges "Widespread" Discriminatory Hiring Coverup at University of Washington

Audio acquired by the National Association of Scholars describes allegations of coverup race-based hiring coverup at the University of Washington...

September 18, 2024

3.

DEI vs. Academic Integrity at University of Washington

FOIA requests found evidence of racial discrimination at the University of Washington. A professor now accuses the University of a cover-up. A leading scholar of "whiteness" is accus......