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5/09/2006

Science and Faith: Allies Not Enemies--Dispelling the Myths

 
NEWS ADVISORY, May 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- Science and faith are not necessarily enemies. That’s what Gloria Hillard of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition reported in a recent commentary on teaching intelligent design in the public classroom. This conclusion is not news to the team of scientists at the science/faith think- tank, Reasons To Believe (RTB).

Astronomer Hugh Ross, founder and president of Reasons To Believe explains, “Attempts by both public educators and church ministers to keep science and religion in separate compartments ends up castrating both the scientific and theological enterprises.

“Both science and theology deal with cause and effect and both attempt to explain the origin and history of the universe and life.”

Fuz Rana, a biochemist at RTB adds, “Science is a powerful tool for testing different religious and scientific ideas and models. Instead of holding seminars to help teachers know what to say when challenged by their students about evolution, we should be giving them the scientific tools they need to help students dig deeper and put the different models to the test.”

Ross, Rana, and the other RTB scientists are not in favor of teaching the brand of intelligent design that certain religious groups have tried to force upon a number of state and local school boards.

“These groups never identify the designer and consequently cannot produce an adequate explanation for the record of nature,” contends Ross.

“The question of who or what is the designer must be addressed through scientific models that are testable, falsifiable, and have the capability to make specific predictions of what scientists will discover in their future research."

The team of RTB scientists has spent the past twenty years building a testable creation model, parts of which have been published in several books that have been widely acclaimed by scientists and theologians both inside and outside the Christian community. A summary of the entire RTB testable creation model will appear in Ross’ new book, Creation As Science scheduled for release September 15, 2006.

“We have a unique opportunity make science education exciting again,” Ross concludes. “When believers and un-believers alike are willing to let science be a brutal yet fair competition among ideas, we show students how powerfully science can guide them in life’s most important decisions.”