Controversies in Science - In the Beginning - Explanations from Science and Religion - Part 6

Controversies in Science: In the Beginning - Explanations from Science and Religion

A panel of experts discusses science, creation, and evolution.

Neal Conan; host of NPRs Talk of the Nation, moderates. Panelists include: Francisco Ayala, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Irvine and author of Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion; Denis Lamoureux, Professor of Science and Religion at St. Joseph's College in the University of Alberta, Canada, author of Evolutionary Creation and co-author of Darwinism Defeated? The Johnson-Lamoureux Debate on Biological Origins; and Eugenie Scott, American physical anthropologist and executive director of the National Center for Science Education and author of Evolution vs. Creationism: An Introduction.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• christian
• christianity
• creation
• creationism
• evolution
• evolutionism
• darwin
• darwinism
• bible
• intelligent
• design
• answers
• genesis
• biology
• scripture
• Francisco
• Ayala
• Denis
• Lamoureux
• Eugenie
• Scott

[wimvandenberghe]

Thirdly, certain humans supposedly go to an evil-free and suffering-free heaven, but they don't become robots in that place do they? Fourthly, certain humans are naturally (genetically, neurochemically) less prone to commit evil (just look at the gender differences when it comes to crime) than others and that doesn't diminish their free will in religious terms, does it? He's probably a great scientist, but when it comes to religion, Ayala becomes just as inconsistent as any other believer.

[wimvandenberghe]

A god creating either humans with free will and suffering and evil as a byproduct of that versus creating robots without free will is a false dichotomy. First of all, an omnipotent, omnibenevolent god would have free will showing that the ability to do evil is not a necessary part of having free will. Secondly, angels supposedly have free will (Satan freely chose to turn) but live in an alleged place without suffering or evil. Ctd.

[KPhysicsGeek]

@judoyodan that is such an unfair statement to lump people like Georges Lemaitre and Francis Collins with people like Kent Hovind. Further you lump creationists together with the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. and Archbishop Demond Tutu both whose great moral struggles were encouraged by their faith.

Christianity has served as the basis of the profoundly good and profoundly evil, but lumping them together is exactly what they do when they claim all atheists are like Stalin.

[wimvandenberghe]

@myshkinyt

No problem. Shit happens. ;-)

[myshkinyt]

I accidentally hit the wrong thumb. I am very sorry about this because this comment has added a significant new piece to my understanding of the problem of evil. Thanks!

[sciencefaithdoc]

lol.

[judoyodan]

If I thought I had an invisible friend, I would run to the nearest psych ward.

[sciencefaithdoc]

And you should be treated like a patient.

[judoyodan]

Christianity should be treated like a mental disorder.

[wimvandenberghe]

Thanks for uploading! :-)