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At 21:01 06/01/2007, Lisa Jo Rudy wrote:

>No, but hang on a sec: many people feel that things happen for a REASON,
>even if they're scientifically explainable.
>:
>:
>In other words, the divine (or fate) working through science.
>
>Not an unexplainable miracle, but something more like fate, destiny,  karma...

In a way, this sounds closer to traditional theology, in which ALL 
natural phenomena and random events were 'acts of God', not just the 
scientifically inexplicable ones. Together, militant creationists and 
crusading atheists have agreed on a new, narrower, smaller 'God of 
the unexplained gaps' definition. (Like insurance company lawyers 
restricting acts of God to earthquakes, floods and storms...!)

At 15:44 07/01/2007, Amanda Chesworth wrote:

>I think the key point to make here, however, is that evolution vs
>creationism does not need to be an issue of science vs religion and
>shouldn't be, in our roles as science educators. Though it's clear that
>creationism/ID has a religious agenda, among other things, the only aspect
>that concerns me is that it claims to be science. ...
>:
>:
>...I agree that science and religion are not mutually exclusive but I think
>that evolution and creationism/ID are.

Yes! Science and religion are not mutually exclusive and also not 
overlapping except where one transgresses the boundary of the other.

Militant creationism is a prejudiced distortion of science wrongly 
claiming to represent religion.

Crusading, scientistic atheism is a religious conviction wrongly 
claiming to represent science.

Whatever the personal religious beliefs, both 'sides' need to be 
taught about these boundaries, and encouraged to disown and ignore 
the high-profile boundary-crossers (on both 'sides') who are entirely 
responsible for confusing, polarising and alienating public opinion.

Having achieved this, hopefully within the next 100 years if we can 
agree to pull together, we could at last 'move on'...!


[log in to unmask] * http://www.interactives.co.uk
*
Give people facts and you feed their minds for an hour.
Awaken curiosity and they feed their own minds for a lifetime.
*
Ian Russell 

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