What is the domain of science and what is the domain of religion?
Can the two get along or are they mutually exclusive?
Under what conditions could they get along without contradiction?
2006-09-06 10:14:40 · 16 answers · asked by mikayla_starstuff 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Will--
I phrased the question mentioning an article from Gould a few days ago and got only 2 answers lol
I thought I'd try it again from a different angle.
2006-09-06 10:20:22 · update #1
science has to be testable and repeatable....and history has shown whenever there is a conflict eventually science wins....who here believes that Thor's hammer causes thunder? or that Poseidon causes the seas to become stormy? or that the universe revolves around the earth? Religion is good at answering questions of ethics and culture and philosophy...although the fields of culture, ethics, and Philosophy also answer the same questions without necessarily depending on religion
2006-09-06 10:22:57 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Science starts from the assumption that inductive reasoning is valid and is the only way to obtain knowledge.
Religion starts from the assumption that knowledge can be obtained simply by believing things, but only in the domain of religion. Outside that domain, it changes its standard to the same one science uses. No explanation is ever given as to why a different standard applies in one domain but not the other.
2006-09-06 10:27:22 · answer #2 · answered by lenny 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Bahai faith believes in the melding of science and religion. When I told my Doctor of Chinese Medicine that scientists have proven that space has intelligence, that there is an order to things and that nothing happens at random, he said "that's Budhism". Individuals like Larry Dossey, M.D. have written books with research in it that demonstrates the correlation between prayer and healing even when the individuals being prayed for are in different parts of the world and do not know that they are being prayed for. It also doesn't matter which religion the prayer originates from. Quantum Physics has proven that thoughts are things, thus the power of prayer (thought).
2006-09-06 10:24:34 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Actually the domains are pretty well defined Science deals with evidence, facts, empiricism and repeatable experimentation. Religion deals with superstition and magic without any concrete foundation in fact.
The two domains just need to stay out of each others way, won't happen. In the middle ages science was treated as philosophy and viewed as mental masterbation so it did not conflict with the church. Occasionally some "scientists" like Galileo stuck their head up and confronted doctrine, it was wacked of, figurtively.
Religion has to respect the fact that science has provided all the magic that makes their lives good and keep their mouths shut or they will be back living in their own excrement cowering under a cow during a thunderstorm.
Science really could care less about religion, it is just background noise. It is the those ensconced in their bubble of religion that feel threatened constantly.
Ah, got that rant off my chest, thanks.
2006-09-06 10:22:11 · answer #4 · answered by Dane 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Religion and science can and do coexist quite well. The problem is not with science and religion, but in peoples ideas as to what constitutes one or the other. The greatest divide would be between creation and evolution, and yet even here the two ideas can coexist. Creation is about the beginning or origin of life and evolution is about the development of life since creation. I for one have no problem with religion and science.
Peace be with you.
Michael
2006-09-06 10:21:38 · answer #5 · answered by o_s_c_c 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
That's a broad question! If you are speaking of evolution or creationism, God stated he created all, he did not tell us how! Thus it could be one in the same!
Everything is science, and everything is God! And God is everything!
God understands science perfectly! Men hasn't even started to scratch the surface yet!
How many times has science swore to things and found later how wrong they have been?
Of course they can get along, there is no changing them!
2006-09-06 10:27:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's a good question. I've heard that science and religion are coming closer and closer together. I have yet to see that though. All I know is that the world would at least benefit by people not arguing as much about what is right and what is wrong.
2006-09-06 10:19:31 · answer #7 · answered by Agnostic 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Science and religion are two ways of answering our questions. You just have to remember their purposes. Science answers the question 'How'. Religion answers the question 'Why'. That way, everybody can be satisfied. Unfortunately, most ppl mix the categories, and flame wars result.
2006-09-06 10:21:48 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Science deals with the natural world and any phenomena that can be tested and falsified.
Religion (should) deal with what is unobservable and untestable.
The conflict arises when someone tries to say:
1) Science can test religion
2) Religion can overrule science.
Both are nonsense.
2006-09-06 10:21:04 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Didn't Stephen Jay Gould write a book about that?
2006-09-06 10:18:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋