Discussion Forum

In a recent opinion poll, 56% of Americans said there generally is conflict between science and religion. In the context of the USA, this perception relates mostly to the teaching of Darwin’s theory of the evolution of species, which is believed by many people to be in contradiction to religion. But a perceived conflict between religion and science may also arise in many other areas of technology, medicine, ethics, and society. Without asking anyone to change their minds or abandon thier beliefs, each of us can practice how to be curious, to be open to ideas that may contradict what we previously thought, and willing to hear opposing opinions without becoming agitated. We can understand that both science and religion, as well as the many great philosophical traditions, are alternative ways of organizing human knowledge. They are continually evolving, not inherently in conflict, and may be complementary.