On Science and Religion, part 1
Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Stephen Kaufman, M.D., Christian Vegetarian Association (CVA)

On Science and Religion, part 1

Albert Einstein once wrote, Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.

Yet, many people see a conflict between science and religion. Many religious leaders have scoffed at scientific theories, particularly Darwinian evolution, while some the most outspoken atheists are professional scientists. Is this conflict inevitable?
 
Those who seek a truce between science and religion often assert that science and religion seek answers to different questions. Science attempts to explain how things happen, while religion tends to focus on the “why” questions. In other words, religions often seek to understand meaning, such as, Why was I born? What am I supposed to do in my life? What happens to me when I die? The scientific method is ill-equipped to address such questions.
 
Atheists typically claim that such religious questions are silly. They assert that we aren’t born for any particular reason, that our lives have no greater meaning than the meaning we choose to give them, and that, when our body dies, that’s the end of our story. Can science inform religion? Can religion inform science? How do these questions relate to animal issues? I’ll start to explore these questions next essay.

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Go on to: On Science and Religion, part 2
Return to: Reflection on the Lectionary, Table of Contents 

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Return to Animals: Tradition - Philosophy - Religion