Science
TD3k Speaks

Happy Darwin's Day!

10-Feb-07 09:14 AM
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Mark your calendars - this coming Monday, February 12, is a new holiday: Darwin's Day. For a full synopsis of what this is all about read this article for more information. The holiday will be preceded in several hundred church congregations throughout the United States with an event called "Evolution Sunday" which is an attempt to bring church goers into a greater understanding of the evolutionary biologists' theory and his writings on the subject. The whole point of the occasion, according to those who are orchestrating the event, is to deliver the message to people of faith that it is not necessary to choose between one's faith and science. According to them, faith and science should not be at war with one another and they can peacefully co-exist together. This is a remarkable story given the fact that even today, almost 150 years since the publication of the "Origins of Species", public controversy still abounds along the cultural divide on the subject of evolution. Recent events such as the lawsuit brought against the school board in Dover, Pennsylvania brings back memories of the Scopes Monkey Trial of the 1920's and serve to remind us that the debate between religious faith and science is still hotly debated today.

In my opinion, I am all for the promotion of science and a better understanding of the writings of Darwin and other scientists. I think most folks today don't really understand the concept of evolution and gene mutations as the whole subject has been reduced to the single question of "did man evolve from the ape?" This concept is at odds with many religious faiths since it calls into question of man's importance and status in the world as described in the writings of the sacred texts. Evolution, if true as we understand it today, presents a very different picture of man and reduces him to the same level as the animal, but at the top of the animal chain primarily as a result of our larger brains. I remain of the opinion that science and religion play two different roles and I believe that ultimately religion has to conform to the principles of science if it is to be valid. Let me explain:

Simply put, science deals with the observations, data collection and testing of subjects in the physical world. Science can only deal with that which is tangible; it cannot by definition deal with the supernatural or the intangible since entities in that realm cannot be observed, tested, or documented. Religion, on the other hand, deals with the intangible, the supernatural, and the unknown. Since science cannot validate religious teachings due to the content of the subject matter (i.e. science cannot prove or disprove the existence of God), it is imperative for religious teachings to at least conform to scientific principles as they relate to the physical world if we are to have any hope of believing them. If a religious dogma teaches something that is at odds with science; that is, something that we can observe, test and prove to be true or untrue, then that religious dogma is no longer valid by the proof of the physical evidence against it. If a religious doctrine does not conform to that which we can prove true or false in the tangible world, how then can we hope to believe the same religious instructions on things that cannot be seen or tested in the intangible world? It would seem to me that if you are presenting a text, a faith, or a belief system as the "truth", then it has to be true on everything. I doubt that Evolution Sunday will get that deep into the subject, but at least it is a start. It's not about destroying faith, it's about adjusting thoughts and beliefs to at least align with what can be demonstrated as the truth. I would certainly be happy to hear any additional thoughts or comments on this subject. Oh, and Happy Darwin's Day!!

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