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God and the community of scientists
The Norman Transcript
July 11, 2006 12:08 pm
By Lloyd WilliamsFor The TranscriptGenius and beauty are
scattered around our world. But interspersed among them are
quantities of confusion,conflict, ugliness and endless
disagreements. One consequence of our own carelessness is neglect
of geniusand the besmirching of beauty. And one consequence of this
folly is scrambled understanding assuringundisciplined minds or
just blind prejudice -- inevitably followed by fruitless
squabbles.Although disagreements over religion and science have
characterized our world for centuries, the present erais a
particularly acrimonious one. This is regrettable for several
reasons: It is unnecessary, it is relativelypointless, it
crystallizes beliefs rather than illuminates them, it generates
hostilities, it impairs cooperation andit wastes time and energy.
As the arguments are now cast, they are non-productive and
irreconcilable.Why the resurgent struggle between proponents of
science and advocates of religious fundamentalism hasbecome so
political, vocal and malevolent is interesting. This wrangle is a
product of fear, innocence,insecurity, weak conviction,
misunderstanding, ineffective education, lack of self-confidence,
superstition,failure to make clear distinctions among ideas and
neglect of the canons of logic. Nor have we learned ourhistory very
well, for this dispute should have been resolved centuries ago. The
classical Greeks put a criticaledge on the Western mind that we
neglect. The Muslim superiority in mathematics and medicine during
theMiddle Ages should have given us all a profound sense of
humility. And the dreadful Nazi episode shouldhave made it clear
how intolerant, debased and cruel differences can make us.Earlier,
the Reformation and the lessons of the Inquisition along with the
growth of science should have sweptthe cobwebs of prejudice and
partisanship out of the Western mind. That cleansing was imperfect.
How wellwe have learned the lessons of the Protestant mutiny, those
of Servetus, John Huss and John Wycliff as wellas the significance
of Copernicus and Galileo is questionable. Without these insights
the background forinformed discussion of the relationships of
science and religion is seriously impaired.But there is a way out
of our futile confrontations, provided we are willing to read,
think and examine ourconvictions. A century ago Cambridge
University professor John Venn developed a diagram to show
therelationships among ideas. Note how this relates to science,
religion and philosophy.Interrelationships among these systems are
complex, often subtle and apparently endless. Note that
eachoverlaps the others, but to what degree depends on our
definitions and assumptions. In any case ourunderstanding is
clearer if we define carefully and specify the purpose and method
of each body ofknowledge. Careless thought can produce nothing but
confusion.Science is organized, tested knowledge concerned with
phenomena, the world of matter in its various forms.As history has
evolved, science's principal branches are physics, chemistry,
biology, astronomy, geology and
those specialized disciplines derived from them. Its
indispensable and underpinning tool is mathematics,without which
measurement and control would be impossible. Scientific method is
principally controlledinquiry. It is a discipline, affirming that
knowledge is derived from sense experience. The principal purpose
oftheoretical science is understanding the behavior of matter in
its various forms; the principal purpose ofapplied science is
controlling it.Most of our religious views are ancient ones based
upon ancestral understanding. Traditionally, religion
istranscendentally focused and is therefore by definition largely
outside the realm of science. It does, however,significantly
overlap the realm of philosophy. It usually teaches the eminence of
God, the fallibility ofhumankind and absolute moral principles. In
historic Christianity, the way to true faith is through
revelation,scripture and theology. There is also recourse to dogma.
This latter can neither be validated nor invalidated by
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experience. It is simply given as "truth" by authority and
expected to be taken as such.Philosophy spans the ideological
spectrum from right to left. Coming from the classical Greeks it is
thefountainhead of Western knowledge. Coming from China and India
it is a rich source of wise literature.Technically, philosophy is
rational inquiry. From its Greek source it means love of wisdom; in
its wider usageit is an effort to take a thoughtful view of life
and its problems. It is not necessarily based on experience
ormetaphysics (affirmations transcending experience). It is a
reflective attempt to find truth, to clarifyknowledge, to determine
the nature of reality and to achieve insight into the enigmatic
quality of life. It tends
to be attracted to the open mind and repelled by the dogmatic
mind. Its principal tools are experience,disciplined speculation
and reason.All three of these studies provide stimulating ways of
looking at our mysterious universe. Which one we relyon principally
is probably a function of emotional need, but whatever our choice
all should be cultivated withpatience, tolerance and humility. It
is unlikely that even the brainiest among us sees more than a small
portionof truth and reality. So partisan squabbling is childish, a
sign we have not grown up intellectually oremotionally. The more we
feel the need to call emotion to our defense the more insecure in
belief we are.Dogmatic insistence on one's point of view is a
measure of immaturity; forbearance is a measure of sagacity.If we
are wise, three obligations will command our habitual attention:1.
We will hold our religion with quiet hope while fulfilling its
moral obligations of charity, kindness andforgiveness.2. We will
reflect on our puzzling existence without presumption, and
discipline that thought with controlled
emotions.3. We will strive to understand and appreciate the
methods and fruits of science that have made our liveseasier, that
have illuminated the structure and functioning of our minds and
bodies, that have revolutionizedour comprehension of the world and
dramatically expanded our grasp of the universe.We should
appreciate brilliance wherever we find it. Certainly the insight
behind these contributions isradiant, its value incalculable.Lloyd
Williams is a retired educator. His column runs periodically in The
Transcript.
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