Tom Fudge: Science and religion are at odds in America over a variety of things. Those subjects include the theory of evolution and stem cell research. But at a deeper level, it's a debate over what should motivate people and what should govern the way we live our lives.
Depending on your point of view, it may seem like religion is on the offense. Christian fundamentalists have offered "intelligent design" as an alternative to the theory of evolution. And they've been pushing to get it included in school curricula. But lately, some members of the scientific community have thrown some jabs as well. Probably the best known is a book called The God Delusion , written by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins .
But writer and physics professor Karl Giberson would warn you to be careful when you start describing the views of the scientific community. For one thing, not all members of that community are atheists – far from it. It's true that science requires different values and different ways of thinking than those which inform a religious faith, but Giberson says they are not mutually exclusive.
Karl Giberson will speak tonight (Mon., Nov. 26) at
Point Loma Nazarene University
at 7 p.m. For more information on the speech, call (619) 849-2205.
Guest
- Karl Giberson , professor of physics at Eastern Nazarene College and director of the Forum on Faith and Science at Gordon College . He's author of several books, including Oracles of Science: Celebrity Scientists versus God and Religion .
