Let's try to be rational about this.
I have been discussing the the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial which ended exactly 15 years ago last Sunday . Three of the key figures who supported the plaintiffs recently sat down for interviews with S. Joshua Swamidass and (on two of the interviews) Nathan Lents for the Peaceful Science blog. Videos of the interviews can be found at the bottom of the page.
Continue reading “Ken Miller, Genie Scott & Barbara Forrest: 15 Years After Dover”
This month marks fifteen years since the conclusion of the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial which ruled that Intelligent Design (ID) is a form of creationism and, therefore, could not be taught as a scientific theory in American public schools. Recently, several of the people involved in the trial have given interviews about it, among them biochemist Michael Behe, the most prominent proponent of ID to testify at the trial.
Continue reading “Michael Behe: 15 Years After Dover”In the above video from Peaceful Science, philosopher JP Moreland argues for the existence of immaterial souls and minds, and is challenged by the scientists S. Joshua Swamidass, a Christian, and Nathan Lents, an atheist. Despite the fact that all three participants hold quite different views on the subject, the discussion is respectful and collegial. And I’m not entirely sure it should have been.
Continue reading “J.P. Moreland tries to defend substance dualism – and anti-gay bigotry.”
Are science and religion compatible with one another? More specifically: Can one accept the scientific fact that human beings are the result of the 4 billion year process of evolution in which we share common ancestry with all other organisms that inhabit the earth, and at the same time believe the Biblical and Quranic accounts according to which we are all descended from a single couple who were directly created by God? For many the answer is an unequivocal “No”. This includes the members of creationist organizations such as Answers in Genesis, the Institute for Creation Research and the Discovery Institute who try to discredit the theory of evolution in favour of the belief that humans are a special creation of God. On the other side are atheist scientists such as Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne and PZ Myers who argue that acceptance of scientific ideas like evolution renders belief in God untenable.
However, there remains a number of people who take an in-between position. In fact, I suspect a majority of people, professional scientists and laypersons alike, simply hold to their religious beliefs (or lack thereof) with little or no thought given to how these relate to the scientific principles which they accept. But there exist a group of people, often referred to as theistic evolutionists or evolutionary creationists, who are equally as devoted to theism as they are to science and actively work to create a reconciliation between the two.
It is one of the embarrassments of our supposedly educated and enlightened age that a large percentage of the population continues to reject the scientific theory of evolution. It is also clear that this rejection is largely related to the perception that the theory is in conflict with religious belief. People interested in fostering the public understanding and acceptance of science have taken various approaches to this problem. Some, notably Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne, and PZ Myers, endeavor to tackle the problem at its root by directly criticizing theism and religious belief. Others are more circumspect and try to persuade creationists that there is no necessary contradiction entailed in accepting the science of evolution and believing in God.
Continue reading “Genealogical Adam & Eve: An Attempt to Reconcile Science and Faith”