Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
I discuss in Chapter 4 some evolutionary hypotheses that have withstood attempts
to falsify them. Hypotheses made in a supernaturalist framework are not testable,
which is why there is so much conflict between different religions - there is no
way of resolving differences between them. For example, in the Christian religion
alone, there are between 9000 and 33,000 distinct denominations that are recog-
nised, depending on how they are defined. Each of these denominations claims that
its interpretation of the Bible is the correct one. Science on the other hand advances
cumulatively, step-by-step, reaching broad agreement. Compared with religion,
science speaks with one voice, and so is humanity's only universal language.
Science and Religion Compared
That is all I want to say about how science works. Figure 2.10 provides a summary
of this topic, taken from the web site of the National Academy of Sciences in the
United States. I have discussed points 1-5, but point 6 is also important, because
this is where science and religion differ in the modern world. Science tells you
how the world works, but it does not tell you how to behave or what to admire -
science is morally and aesthetically neutral. The major world religions, on the other
hand, do offer instruction in these important areas, but this advice is based on their
supernatural interpretations of the world. Because there is no general agreement on
the nature and intentions of postulated supernatural agents, it is not surprising that
different religions take conflicting moral positions on such things as warfare, the
status of women, and sexual behaviour. Science, by comparison, helps you to predict
the likely possible results of any given type of action that you are considering.
Fig. 2.10
