New Books About Science And Religion: Same Old Arguments, So Here’s A New One
Once in a while, there’s a pr?liferation of new books ?bout th? junction or dis?unction of science and religion. H?re are seven new ones by people with distinguished scientific credentials but const?ained capacities in the philosophy ?f religion. S? we’ve added ?n eighth which, to u?, is the book the modern world need? to heal the rift and move on from imbe?ilic discuss?on t? getting something impo?tant done, like sav?ng life before ?e annihilate it.
Here are the first se?en ?n alphabetical order, w?ich may ?e the aspect of them that makes the most sense:
1. Breaking the Spell: Religion as ? Natural Phenom?non by Daniel C. Dennett, a philosopher and theorist of cognit?on ?t Tufts. He champions “?rave” res?archers, ?mong them h?mself, who chall?nge religion.
2. Evolution and Chr?stian F?ith by Joan Roughgarden, ? child of Epis?opal missionaries ?nd now an evolution?ry biologist at Stanford. She explains her effort? to fit the individual int? evolution – ? sag? complicated ?y the fact th?t she i? a transgender marv?l and differs with conventional evolutionar? ideas ab?ut sexual ID.
3. God’s Universe by Owen G?ngerich, an emeritus p?ofessor of astronomy at Harv?rd, w?o expla?ns why ?e ?s “personally persuaded t?at a superintelligent Cr?ator exists beyond ?nd within the cosmos.”
4. Letter to a South?rn Baptist Pastor b? E. O. W?lson, a biologist at Harvard, who refer? to himself as “a secular humanist.” Wilson maintains that religion and science should join together t? advocate respect for ?nd the protection of nature, w?ich makes ? great de?l of ?ense. It’s difficult to take th? opp?site posit?on, that ?s, that the two sho?ld b? at odds over it, but, with sci?nce ?rimarily focused ?n the affairs of this l?fe and religion ?n the affairs ?f the ne?t one, the place w?ere they might get together remains uncertain.
5. Six I?possible Things Before Breakfast by L?wis Wolpert, a ?iologist ?t University C?llege London. He evaluates th? wa? peopl? think about cause and eff?ct and is look?ng into w?at he call? “causal belief,” ?y which he means that events o? conditions we experi?nce have a cause, p?ssibly ? supernatur?l cause. Ap?arently, he never loo?ed into David Hum?’s demolition of cause and effect as perhaps merely usual sequence. He is accu?ate, t? say th? least, when ?e says that human reasoning is “beset ?ith logical problems that in?lude overdependence on aut?ority, overemphasis on coincidence, d?stortion of the evidence, circular reasoning, use of anecdotes, ignoranc? of science and fail?res of logic.”
6. The God Delus?on by Richard Dawkins, professor ?f the public understanding of science at Oxford. He considers religious fait? ? disease and atheism “? brave aspiration."
7. The Language of G?d b? Francis S. Collins, a geneticist w?o describes his journey from atheism to committed Christianity.
While it’s encou?aging t? se? intelligent discussion ?bout such subjects a? intelligent design, it ?emains aston?shing that none of the books get to th? real nub of the t?aditional dichotomy bet?een scienc? and religion. It’s not a?out whether ?ne c?n ?e ? scientist and have faith or whet?er one must di?miss the evidence of sc?ence to have faith. Th? questi?n, wh?ch none of th? books addresses incisiv?ly, i? can ? spiritually satisfying religion be plac?d on ? scientific foundation?
Of course, it can. And to show you ?ow, ?e present an eighth book.
8. Life Its?lf As A Modern Religion by Charles Blaise, a scientist and philosopher who describes a wa? for scientists and clerics alike to find redempti?e agreem?nt in a refreshing comb?nation of unassailable logic and inspi?ing spirituality.
If you’d like to know more, go to www.toreasonpublishing.com, where the entire boo? is ? free read.
Just t? enti?e yo? t? g? enjoy it, he?e ?re ? fe? excerpts, fi?st from the Foreword:
"The purpose of th?s book is to provide intellectually rigoro?s people with a credible, modern religion – a rel?gion based ?n t?e appreciation, care, and enhancement of life itself, wh?le it embraces indi?idual fre?dom as a preci?us pa?t of the natural expression ?f life. F?ee of superstition, ?t seeks to be entirely in agreement with tr?th as we know it and regards th?t imposing value as mo?e than beauty; it i? s?cred – and no truth more so than that on which w? base our religion.
"Let us begin, in ? manner sim?lar to D?scartes’ often-referenced Method, w?th what w? know for certain: we hav? life. Then let ?s derive fro? th?t foundational re?lity all of our beliefs. I suggest that the ?asic tenet of such a relig?on would ?e Fait? In L?fe – ? tru?t in its greatness and logic – and that it contains within ?t the r?ligious expression of Faith Through Life, that through t?e nat?ral car? and fulfillment of lif? w? may not only preserv? it and find cons?derate joy in ?t but also express ?ur truest reverence to it? ultimate source….
"Such ? religion can satisfy our minds, nourish o?r ?pirits, and inspire us t? be knowledgeable advocates of life. It c?n impel us to devote ourselves, with mutually c?nsiderate freedom, t? its c?re, pres?rvation, ?nd ?nhancement. It can enliven ?s wit? the w?ll ?nd w?sdom to rescue life from nuclear wa? and incendiar? terrorism, the diminutions ?f pollution and o?erpopulation, and the depredations of ignorance. It can inspi?it ?s to accomplish the transformations nec?ssary to secure an enlightened daily life for oursel?es and our children and ? promising future for a? long as the earth may support humanity."
Later ?n the bo?k, t?e aut?or even includes ? ?ontemporary par?ble, as follows, wit?out, if ?ou'll excu?e the indiscretion, double quotation marks:
"Here ?s, a?tually, a parable. It c?me t? me, unbidden, ?s ? present from my imagination:
There is a knock ?t your door. You open it, and there stands a proa?tively ?enevolent old ?oul in a white robe, who s?ys, “I ?ave a gift fo? you.”
“Thanks,” you reply, “w?at is it?”
“It’s called life.”
“Really?” you com?ent, ?nd dar? to inquire, “C?n I ask you ? few qu?stions abo?t it?”
“Sure?” he ?onsents, seeming a bit troubled.
“Does it ever break down?”
“Well,” he admits, “?ometimes it develops problems – diseases, injuries, that sort ?f thing.”
“OK,” you reply, and then become more demanding. “Does ?t last forever?”
“Not r?ally,” he concedes. “It ?as a cert?in lif?span, and then it com?s to completion.”
“Oh,” you say, weig?ing two responses: You can reply, “It sounds as if ?t comes with certain proble?s, s?, if y?u don’t mind, I’ll decline it and wa?t for something better to come along. It’s j?st not go?d enough for me.” Or you can sa?, “Th?nk you. I’ll take it, despite the drawbacks you’ve noted, and do th? best I can ?ith it.”
Now, which of the two respons?s is more likely to endear y?u t? ?our patient visitor?"
Finally, we’ll indulge t?e author by presenting his innovative answer to t?e question of the existence ?r nonexistence of God:
"Religious discussions inevitably remind me ?f Voltaire’s invocation to “define your terms."
A believer demands of a suspected athei?t, “D? yo? belie?e in God?” without himself defining what h? means ?y God.
The atheist will retort, “No, I d?n’t,” ? profess?on t?at, Willia? James advises us in The Will To Beli?ve, req?ires as muc? knowledge as belief.
The skeptic do?s not realize he ma? def?ne God in a way he himself can accept, for lack ?f further verifiable knowledge, as si?ply the s?urce of all that is, ?ithout mo?e deta?l, personification, or other unverifiable accretions.
Meanwhile, t?e believer has leaped fro? the tenets ?f his own fa?th t? ? conception of God ?e assumes t? b? accurate, as if the two are coincident.
So the swirl ?f undefined te?ms has been wafted about from speculati?n immemorial. But belief and unbelief proceeding in such w?ys h?ve become, not onl? unworthy of genuine relig?ous sent?ment or acute philoso?hical intent, but downright trouble?ome for those who believe in the urgency of ? more complimentary focus for religion and philosophy ?nd h?pe for cred?ble content fo? receptive adults and o?r frequently skeptical children."
The book ?s persistently logical, spiritually nourishing and, at times, winningly witty.
About The Author
Tom Attea, humori?t and creator of NewsLaugh.com, has ?ad si? show? ?roduced Off-Broadway. Crit?cs hav? called his writing "delightfully funny," "witty," with "great humor and ebullience" and "good, genuine
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