29 July 2011
If you ask many people today what they think about science’s relationship to religion, you are likely to be told that the two have been in conflict for a very long time. There was the trial of Galileo by the Inquisition, for example, the debate between Wilberforce and Huxley, and there is still an on-going dispute over the teaching of evolution in American schools. These usual suspects may be trotted out whenever this topic is mentioned, but are events such as these really typical of the history of science as a whole?
Contrary to the impression given by some commentators, the conflict thesis between science and religion is one that has been discredited in academic circles for some time. The rise of science in the West was, of course, a very complicated affair in which many different factors played a part. There were certainly inevitable points of tension, but this does detract from the fact that Europe was a largely Christian continent in which religious individuals and institutions inevitably played a central role in the changes that occurred.
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19 July 2011
Starting with a question seems like a good idea to most people: it helps to bring a sharper focus; it’s conversational; it reveals gaps in knowledge and it’s quite natural – kids seem to use questions instinctively to find out about the world. Of course, there are lazy questions and there are thoughtful questions. The difference is hard to explain, but anyone who has ever heard, or asked a great question, asked at the right time, will immediately know why good, careful, thoughtful questions are always worth asking.
Christians have often pointed to the example of God asking Adam and Eve, ‘Where are you?’ (Genesis 3:9), and the way in which Jesus interacts with people in the New Testament.
So, perhaps starting with questions isn’t such a bad idea after all, is it? Even so, some Christians are suspicious of starting with questions.
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