Is Science the answer? A Comparison of Atheism and Islam ( 1 of 4 )

Does Science support Atheism or the belief in God?

Is there a conflict between Islam and science?

Why are we here?

What is life all about?

These questions are as old as the human race.

So how are we to answer them? Can they be answered at all? Might God be part of the answer?

Representing the Muslim perspective was Shabir ally: Shabir Ally holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, with a specialization in Biblical Literature, and an M.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Toronto with a specialization in Quranic Exegesis.

He is now in his third year of PhD studies in Quranic Exegesis at the University of Toronto.

Shabir is the founder of the Islamic Information and Da'wah Centre in Toronto, Canada.

Representing the Atheist side was Dr. Peter William Atkins: Dr. Atkins is an English chemist and a fellow and professor of chemistry at Lincoln College at the University of Oxford.

He is a prolific writer of popular chemistry textbooks, including Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Molecular Quantum Mechanics, three of the world's most popular chemistry textbooks.

Atkins' Physical Chemistry which he now co-writes with Julio de Paula of Haverford College, is in its 8th edition. In addition, Atkins' Molecular Quantum Mechanics is in its 4th.

Atkins is also the author of a number of popular science works, including Atkins' Molecules and Galileo's Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science.

The Topic of Debate: Is Science the answer?

A Comparison of Atheism and Islam

Shabir Ally (www.Shabirally.com)

vs.

Dr. Peter Atkins (www.infidels.org)

(Imperial College, London, UK 11th October 1999)

For further information on upcoming or previous debates click here

http://www.shabirally.com/debates.asp

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Islam
• Debate
• َQur'an
• Bible
• Atheist
• Muslim
• Science
• God
• Allah
• answers
• Muhammad
• Atheism
• Evolution
• Peter
• Atkins
• Shabir
• Ally

[gre8]

Someone should give a sound treatment on this video. I understand the debate is interesting but the sound quality becomes annoying after a while and I cant watch the whole thing.

[Lowraith]

AllahConsciousness unintentionally makes a really good point:

We are no different than rocks. Morality is indeed created by society. Why should it be any different? Are we so arrogant or so frightened that we can't imagine a mode of existence in which we are NOT the center of attention and purpose? There's nothing special about us in comparison to the rest of existence.

[AllahConsciousness]

There can also be total lack of purpose within the perpetual consciousness model of reality as well.  Granted, eternal void is the pinnacle of no meaning, but it is also the pinnacle of absurdity. What real difference if there between a rock and I if I am not perpetual? Nothing really. In that model of consciousness, organisms fool themselves into morality by social modes that enslave their flesh to the flesh of others. What relevance is this dust to my dust? Mind is a fatty glitch??? -_-

[prototype00000]

or maybe this big bang was a "coincidence" but where is this universe? whats outside? planets appear coincidence? start orbiting the sun perfectly coincidence? earth becomes habitable coincidence? water appears coincidence? same volume of water condensing coincidence? 7 layers? of earths crust where the top provides vegitation we eat coincidence? human life coincidence? fingerprints being different for everyone as a database coincidence?

it seems more like a design to me

[MovingClouds123]

@XaeeD you are referring to how it eats and drinks right?

[1n354a]

a comparison of atheism (non belief in a god or gods) and Islam (belief in a god).

well that is a simple comparison! one believes, one doesn't.

as for science, well how does this matter as there are plenty of atheists and Muslims who both accept and don't accept scientific study. belief/lack of belief in a god or gods has no bearing on this matter.

silly person trying to tie atheism and science into one!