From Ken at The Early Days of a Better Nation
Evolution versus denial is no more a conflict between religion and atheism than it is a controversy within science. At one level, the controversy is within the various religions themselves. Most denominations follow such revered Christian thinkers as Origen and Augustine, and the mediaeval Jewish sage Maimonedes, in reading Genesis figuratively. Fundamentalists insist that if Genesis isn't completely historical, it's simply false. In this, ironically, they are on the same page as some militant atheists.
Elsewhere in the article, he points out that there's a temptation among many to respond to creationist stupidity by arguing that religious faith is equally stupid. That's a mistake, of both philosophy and politics.
Philosophy – Science can neither prove nor disprove the existence of god. If there is a god, (s)he lies outside the realm of observational or experimental science. To show that creationism is not a science it's enough to point out that it invokes explanations that cannot be tested by observation or experiment (see my post on epistemology).
Politics – Most religious traditions are compatible with a scientific understanding of evolution. We need to isolate the fringe, not antagonize the majority. Attacking belief in god is not a winning strategy. If forced to choose between science and their religious faith, most believers will choose faith. The choice isn't necessary, so we don't want them to make it.
Leave a comment