- In the second phase he associates with Isaac Newton who invented the machine model of the physical world which appears to exclude any non-mechanical principles from its working. God seems to be exempt as the creator of the machine.
- Darwin explained how all complex forms of life have originated by chance and the accidental mutation of nucleic acids. This seemed a major blow to the religious view that God had purposely created human beings intending to be just as they are.
The conflict between religion and science is now clear: is there a purpose and design in nature and do the laws of physics give a complete explanation of all that happens without reference to God.
In principle, there should be no conflict if each side sticks to its proper role. Science deals with fact, religion deals with faith. Science deals with physics, religion with metaphysics. Therefore following this view both sides should be able to co-inside with each other and give their own contribution to us.
Two big areas, in which religion and science are at conflict, are questions to do with the start of the universe and the start of life.
- St Thomas Aquinas-
- Put forward- that the notion of infinite time or eternal matter was argued as intellectually absurd without the notion of a metaphysically necessary being to provide an ontological start.
- This has found renewed support from many other modern philosophers.
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The Big Bang Theory- developed by Edwin Hubble.
- This supposed that billions of years ago an explosion of cosmic gases came from a single point of singularity and of great density.
- This therefore started of the process for the world with which we see today, through evolution.
- Scientists are happy to accept, this makes it hard for the philosophers to reject this but still have faith in the belief that God created the universe.
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This therefore brings about a Heliocentric view, this means that mankind is no longer the centre but the sun I the centre of our universe.
- The Theory of Evolution- Charles Darwin.
- Possibly the most damaging theory put forward by scientists against philosophers.
- The theory of evolution basically took God out of the equation for the creation of man. This was the foundation of the Christian belief.
- Scientists claimed that ‘religion had been disproved’ and that the bible was shown to be ‘untrue’.
- The theory of evolution bought about the belief that God was no longer in charge of the earth that it was in charge of itself.
- This bought many scientists to dismiss religion altogether.
Both Science and religion have been in a state over the origins of the earth and the species that religion claims that reality goes beyond being able to give proof. Science obviously denies this. Many though although Science is said to have religion wrong still follow their beliefs despite there differences.
- In the heart of all the differences comes Miracles
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David Hume described a miracle as being a “transgression of the law of nature by a particular volition of the deity.”
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Hume criticised the miracles on ‘empirical probabilities’.
Religion claims that reality goes beyond the empirical and the verifiable, while science is still able to deny this. Many believers still believe that the findings of science are compatible with their beliefs.
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Albert Einstein viewed the conflict of one that needs both science and religion to be able to show a total picture of reality.
- This though is denied by scientists who believe that they can prove religion wrong no matter what they say.
Real conflict between religion and science will continue to revolve around beliefs about what constitutes reality. As long as science insists on its belief that reality is only what can be investigated by scientific methods, religion will represent a rival belief that reality has a wider reach. From this perspective there can only be logically no agreement between science and religion than between religion and atheism.