Essay On Science And Religion

While science aims to explain particular events and generalizations with the laws of nature, religion aims to explain the same things without being confined to the laws of nature. Religion seeks supernatural explanations to explain the phenomena that science cannot including global why questions, necessary beings, and why the laws of nature are so simple. The conversation between religion and science is often seen as a conflicting debate but Instead of dismissing science and religion as conflicting schools of thought, it is important to acknowledge that they are founded upon entirely different schools of thought. I believe that the problem lies within the extremist notions of religion and science that aim to establish their respective schools of thought as the ultimate authority, and not religion and science itself. Perhaps the most fundamental contradiction between religion and …show more content…
I propose a third choice that involves a more contemporary conversation between religion and science that is no longer trapped in the dungeons of conservatism. Robert John Russell, in his introduction to the Festschrift for Ian Barbour, marks the field of science and religion in this way:
“‘Science and religion’ stands for a rapidly growing international, intercultural, interreligious and interdisciplinary movement of scholars held together by their commitment to responsible dialogue and creative mutual interaction between scientists and religious leaders.” (Russell 2004, xiii, emphasis added)

It is important for science to admit ignorance to the explanation of the universe, and for religion to admit ignorance to the viability of a scientific explanation of the universe. If this can be done, the notion of science and religion as conflicting schools of thought will become obsolete, and the notion of science and religion as complementary schools of thought will give