Monday, May 26, 2008

I don't have time to read these...

But the Times points to this interesting series of short essays on the topic Does science make belief in God obsolete?  Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, O.P answers with an interesting No, and Yes:
No, as a matter of reason and truth. The knowledge we have gained through modern science makes belief in an Intelligence behind the cosmos more reasonable than ever.
 Yes, as a matter of mood, sensibility, and sentiment. Not science itself but a reductive "scientific mentality" that often accompanies it, along with the power, control, comfort, and convenience provided by modern technology, has helped to push the concept of God into the hazy twilight of agnosticism.

I don't recall precisely where, but I think that Newman justly worried that about the effect that science would have on people's imagination.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Exact sciences require imagination as well as logics.
How does the idea of God can be compatible with these?
Every time I read the question, I wonder about the astonishing care of detail of our Creator.
The most difficult thing is not explaining what happens but make everything work, and surprisingly, it does.
Have a good day.

Anonymous said...

...And thanks for the link.

Deborah Knight said...

Check out http://www.starcourse.org/jcp/#info for PBS interview with Polkinghorne re Science/Religion. Also, Paul Davies at http://cosmos.asu.edu/ for another interesting perspective.