[Vision2020] Does Science and Religion Conflict?

[Paul Rumelhart]

Art Deco wrote:

> (2) The Same Worlds Model. This model says that science and religion 
> are not in conflict. They are different ways of looking at the 
> universe but they both are valid. Since "truth" cannot contradict 
> "truth", they cannot be in conflict. Any apparent conflict then is due 
> to our lack of understanding what the real "truth" of at least one of 
> those views is.
>

I pretty much agree with this model when it comes to most things 
supernatural.  Darwin's Beagle (not sure if that's you or not) doesn't 
touch upon this one much except to say that theists tend to believe it.  
For example, I see auras.  Not all the time, but often.  I assume that 
there is some natural explanation for this, even as I learn how to 
improve upon the ability.  Science has come a long way, but I imagine 
that there is still a much, much longer way to go.

Even an active, omnipotent god doesn't break this model.  Science can 
only pertain to what is measurable.  If a god can tweak the system, then 
science is worthless for studying that god.  For example, the world 
might have been created a week ago, but created such that all the 
evidence was in place, including our personal memories and all 
measurable data, of a much longer timescale.  It's basically a variation 
of the "brain in a bottle" hypothesis.  Science is not wrong in this 
case, because it correctly describes this newly created universe in 
terms of what can be measured.  That is still Truth, even if it can 
never uncover the fact that all it's answers are bogus.  Science can 
only test the self-consistency of the universe in this case.

So the Book of Genesis could be correct, just not testable by science.  
The God of the bible could have taken seven exact 24-hour days in the 
exact order described to create a self-consistent universe that appears 
to be much older than it is.  I don't see any reason to believe this 
over any other creation story in which the same can be said to be true, 
nor do I see any reason to believe this for any other reason.  But it 
could be true and wouldn't invalidate the Same Worlds Model.

Paul
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