We must move past divisive arguments

RE: Religion and science

The classic and tired debate between religion and science has been appearing in my news feed lately, and I find this rather unfortunate.

As a scientist who also holds a degree in Religious Studies, I believe that science in no way has to contradict religious doctrine and that it is merely the human misinterpretation (or misrepresentation) of the divine that keeps this debate going. Any and all phenomena that we can observe can be explained by science.

But does that have to mean God isn’t there? Who is to say that God does not act through scientific processes? For instance, evolution is a foundational science and a well substantiated explanation of a natural observation (what a scientist means when they call something a “theory” — a definition which differs from the traditional understanding of the word). Why couldn’t this be the means in which the divine created life on earth?

Do the six days the Judeo-Christian God took to create life on earth have to be taken so literally?

I feel many people have an incorrect or partially complete understanding of evolution (and climate change, for that matter, but that’s for another time) and many scientists are quick to dismiss the faithful.

However, it is only through open dialogue and a willingness of both parties to listen and understand that a solution can be found. If we are to truly progress as a society, we need to move past these arguments, work together to better understand the mysteries of the universe. Nicolas Randazzo, Hamilton