The Debate Continues In Mike Cahill's I Origins

Bauerlein, Mark. "Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois: The Origins of a Bitter Intellectual Battle." The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, no. 46, 2005, pp. 106, ProQuest Central. http://ezproxy.surry.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/195539134?accountid=14179.

In the article “Redefining Myth and Religion: Introduction to a Conversation,” Dr. Loyal D. Rue discusses how science, religion, and myth are related and how they coexist. Some people may argue that science and religion should not coincide and that they are opposites. However, Rue argues, “…In an ideal world, the vocabulary of science would inform the myth that binds together the culture.” In this statement, Rue claims that science can be used to help explain the supernatural phenomena that religion and myths describe. Science is not anti-religion; it helps us to explain religion in ways that humans can understand.

“In the Forest of Gombe” by Jane Goodall, Goodall describes her own perspectives of the correlation between religions and science through her experiences in the forest at Gombe after she loses her husband to cancer. She comes up with several new concepts which she calls windows during her time in the forest. Goodall develops the idea of the coexistence of science and religion for her deeper understanding of life and the world. I agree with her which the windows that Goodall sees through have no drawbacks because the windows enrich her scientific and religious thinking, represent the combination of science and religion as well as inspires ideas about future development.

Science and religion have long been controversial topics of thought. Lawrence Krauss’ and William Lane Craig’s debate titled, “Has Science Buried God?”, explores both sides of the argument revolving around the question at hand. While both make strong cases, William Lane Craig gives his arguments without showing strong emotion, which can overall lead to a stronger case. That does not, however, mean that Lawrence Krauss’ arguments are weak, per say, but that his argument is more opinionated. Overall, William Lane Craig gave a more sophisticated and logical argument to the guiding question, “Has Science Buried God?”

In a letter addressed to Phyllis Wright, a sixth-grade girl, Albert Einstein somewhat effectively accomplishes his purpose of answering her question as to whether scientists pray, and if so, what they pray for with the use of logos and inattention to the audience. Einstein was thought to be the greatest scientist of the twentieth century, so people turned to him for thoughtful explanations. When Einstein begins to answer Wright’s question, he employs the use of logos to support his theories presented. He presents all angles of the situation to properly develop the response to Wright’s question. Einstein claims that science is a sort of religion on its own to a certain extent, and is “quite different from the religiosity of someone more naïve”.

Inherit the Wind is a powerful play written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee that tells of the significant battle of conventional, religious powers versus freedom and the growing reality of Charles Darwin’s theories. This play is not the exact encounter of the courtroom battle but rather a dramatic retelling of one of the greatest courthouse showdowns in human history. Although many think the religious “Bible-thumpers” defending the Bible to be bias and inconsiderate in this play and in the actual account, those accusers may now look back and see that those “Bible-beaters” really did know what they were talking about they just didn’t quite know how to defeat the false belief of evolution but still keep the freedom of speech and press.

Faith Matters. (2010, April 02). Scholar says that religion and Science can coexist. Lab Activity: Chapter1. Podcast retrieved from

“Taught as s scientist”, Goodall is trained “to think logically and empirically” (145). As a scientist, Goodall is supposed to be logical and not affected by personal or emotional factors. At Cambridge College, “those who believed in god kept it hidden from peers” (145). Even though her “beliefs had already been molded as that she was not influenced by these opinions” (145), she also has to keep he religion as a secret out of the pressure. When Goodall’s husband passed away, she was devastated and she “rejected God” for a while because she was mad at fate and God she undoubtedly believes in for taking her beloved husband away from her. She thus went to the forest to seek comfort. There, she enjoyed the serenity of the nature, the beauty of the world and the unity of everything on this planet.

Whereas ideas and beliefs are generally stunted in their growth and often tend to be passed down from one generation to the next. Intellectuals should never become shackled by their beliefs to the point it stands in the way of their quest for academic wisdom. Being well educated, one should always explore learning beyond the boundaries of their individual views. One of the more dogmatic topics of debate has always been religion versus science. Galileo, “the father of modern science”, was ultimately condemned for heresy by the Roman Inquisition for his lust for knowledge. Fortunately, times have changed and science and religion have learned to co-exist. Nonetheless, there is still a sense of social stigma associated with some of the topics that teeter on religion, such as Darwin’s Theory of Evolution or the Big Bang Theory. Some of the greatest contributions to our world throughout the ages have been fueled by free thinkers that dared to venture outside the scope of their

He alternates between religion and science seeking answers, yet finds none, “why is there gold at all? Planets and flesh? I call out… but I am alone,” (Lightman, pg. 95). The steadiness he had previously found in science starts to falter as he doubts the absolute of measurements. He turns back to religion, and questions what it has to offer him as well, “perhaps there is more than one, multiple Gods… or there is no God… without God… my life is my own,”(Lightman, Pg. 130).

It is well known that many people have this difficulty, and it is not out of line to think that medical researchers may also struggle with this in their lives. According to the University of Chicago Chronicle in a study about doctors and religious beliefs, 76% of doctors believe in God. It also mentioned another study conducted by Nature in 1998 that concluded 39% of scientists had some personal belief in God. (Easton, 2005) Now if these individuals were unable to keep science and religion separate in their life and were simultaneously doing research concerning antibiotic resistance, then it could provide a possibility as to why the term “evolution” was avoided in some of the

Barry presents some really interesting information about evolution and intelligent design, as well as how this fits into our lives as Christians. The evolutionary theory promotes the idea that life forms start out very simple, eventually becoming more and more complex as changes occur through natural selection. Research has found that even the simplest living organisms are extremely complex at the fundamental levels – This provides evidence of a creator. After this discussion, the concept of intelligent design was addressed. This idea brings light to the fact that life on earth is a product of intelligent activity. The systems of life weren’t designed by the laws of nature or by chance; they had to be planned. While this fits hand-in-hand with Christianity, it is important to note that intelligent design can be argued without any reference to scripture. There is a big difference between believing there is an “intelligent designer” and believing that Jesus Christ is our Savior from sin, death, and Satan. Through this, it is important that we, as Christians, aren’t afraid of science. It won’t ever overpower the Word of

Contact explores the ideology of belief and the trustworthiness of pure faith, even without solid evidence. Within both scientific discoveries and religious theories, explanations and proof are vital to convert the skeptical mindset of the nonbelievers. Moreover, this truth is not always discovered and therefore, these concepts are only withheld by belief. While this movie mainly focuses on the battle between science and religion, it continues to further provoke questions of faith. Faith is typically given a religious connotation, as in the faith in God’s (or a higher power’s) existence. Science is an analytic field full of data and realistic concepts. However, Contact suggests that scientists also need faith with their research. But when the absolute truth is not

At one point in my lifetime, maybe when I was 13 years old, my parents informed me that my great-great-great-great grandfather used to be a scientist; one who fantasized about the creation of man. I took his “fantasy” a step

ABSTRACT: Curiously, in the late twentieth century, even agnostic cosmologists like Stephen Hawking—who is often compared with Einstein—pose metascientific questions concerning a Creator and the cosmos, which science per se is unable to answer. Modern science of the brain, e.g. Roger Penrose's Shadows of the Mind (1994), is only beginning to explore the relationship between the brain and the mind-the physiological and the epistemic. Galileo thought that God's two books-Nature and the Word-cannot be in conflict, since both have a common author: God. This entails, inter alia, that science and faith are to two roads to the Creator-God. David Granby recalls that once upon a time,