Science Meets Religion
https://www.sciencemeetsreligion.org
|
 | <== Spiral galaxy M74
(Photo courtesy NASA: Official Hubble site;
refresh browser to select another)
Quote of the day (refresh browser to select another):
Even the most devout and sincere believers in the Bible realize that it is, like most any other book, filled with metaphor, simile, allegory, and parable, which no intelligent person could be compelled to accept in a literal sense. ... The Lord has not taken from those who believe in his word the power of reason. He expects every man who takes his 'yoke' upon him to have common sense enough to accept a figure of speech in its proper setting, and to understand that the holy scriptures are replete with allegorical stories, faith-building parables, and artistic speech. ... Where is there a writing intended to be taken in all its parts literally? Such a writing would be insipid and hence lack natural appeal. To expect a believer in the Bible to strike an attitude of this kind and believe all that is written to be a literal rendition is a stupid thought. No person with the natural use of his faculties looks upon the Bible in such a light. -- Joseph Fielding Smith, Jr. (mid-20thC LDS President), Doctrines of Salvation, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, UT, vol. 3, 1956, pg. 188.
The complete list of quotes is available
here.
|
Updated 2 January 2020
Approach
The objective of this website is to collect high-quality, authoritative information on topics in the arena of science and religion, and to present this information in a rigorous, intellectually honest, well-documented and non-partisan manner. Topics include evolution, creationism, intelligent design, physics, cosmology, philosophy, theology, biblical scholarship and social issues, organized into more than 80 separate articles (not including an additional 100+ articles in the blog). These articles are updated periodically as new research results and scholarship become available. Detailed references are given in all cases, with web links where available, and all references are listed in an extensive bibliography.
The material on this site is targeted to a broad spectrum of scientific, religious and social movements. However, no advertisements or solicitations to support any organization (scientific, academic or religious) are allowed.
Outline of Available Material
-
SMR blog (over 100 items).
This blog features essays, news items and book reviews covering the general realm of science and religion. New items are posted every three or four weeks.
-
The Search for Harmony: A Summary Essay.
This article summarizes the conclusions of the three Q&A sections below, and sketches some promising directions for an intellectually honest common ground between science and religion.
- Q&A:
Evolution, Creationism and Intelligent Design (28 articles). This section discusses creationism, DNA, evolutionary novelty, fossils, geological ages, intelligent design, irreducible complexity, the origin of life, probability, radiometric dating, speciation, thermodynamics and related topics.
- Q&A:
Philosophy (22 articles). This section discusses atheism, controversies, determinism, history of the science-religion conflict, morality, naturalism, postmodernism, pseudoscience, scientific progress, secular humanism, social decline, and related topics.
-
Q&A: Physics and
Cosmology (17 articles). This section discusses the anthropic principle, big bang cosmology, computer science, cosmic coincidences, the cosmological constant paradox, Fermi's paradox, fine tuning, inflation, the multiverse and related topics.
-
Q&A:
Theology (23 articles). This section discusses biblical archaeology, biblical inerrancy, big bang theology, evolution theology, God as a scientific hypothesis, God-of-the-gaps theology, natural law, Noah's flood, commentary on the "war" between science and religion and related topics.
-
Bibliography (approximately 1000 items).
This links to a comprehensive bibliography of all works cited in the articles above.
-
LDS pages (15 articles).
This section of the website includes some material specifically of interest to LDS readers.
Editor's website: Research website.
Disclaimer and copyright: Material on this site does not necessarily reflect views of the research institution, funding agency (if any) or religious affiliation of the editor or any of the specific authors listed for this material. Also, individual authors are solely responsible for their authored material. All material is copyrighted (c) 2020 by David H. Bailey.
Acknowledgments: The editor wishes to acknowledge many useful comments and contributed material from numerous friends and colleagues, including Glenn Branch, Brent Dalrymple, Peter Hess, Mark Isaak, Duane Jeffery, Kenneth Miller, Steven Peck, Eugenie Scott and others.