Faith in Science?

Interdisciplinary community discussions: humanities, philosophy, science, and theology

Scientist, Philosophers, Theologians, Mathematicians, and Political Scientist will speak about "Faith in Science" in three different senses. Scientific and Faith communities have often come into conflict; some people have even been burned. How did this come about?  Is this conflict necessary?  Why did this conflict come about?  Was anything accomplished? Scientific investigations are based upon faith in certain things.  What are these metaphysical principles (beliefs) that physics is based upon?  Are the metaphysical principles that other sciences like biology or chemistry different or the same?  What about the social sciences like psychology and sociology? We are going to have a wireless microphone that will circulate in the room after the panelist have introduced the different threads in "Faith in Science?"  so anyone in the room can participate not just ask questions to panelist, though that too is allowed.  Links to look at before the event and afterward, too. TED, Technology Entertainment Design, TED talks. Rick Warren, "The Purpose-Driven Life." Dan Dennett, Understanding religion, analyzing religion, Breaking the Spell, a response or qualification to "The Purpose-Driven Life." Julia Sweeney, "Letting go of God" Al Gore, What you can do about an "Inconvenient Truth" and partial easing of Global Warming. Tony Robins, Emotional significance and giving. Readings Intrinsic conflict between Science and Religion, really "Chapter 4: Magic and Religion," by Frazer, James George, Sir  in The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion Giordano Bruno's life Trial of Galileo Galilei Tennessee versus John Scopes Was Darwin Wrong? National Geographic November 2004 5Ws of the Universe: Who, Why, What, Where, When Faith and Science Lecture by Alvin Plantinga Relationship between Religion and Science in the Wikipedia Religious Faith and Science in Contact by Bryan P. Stone in Journal of Religion and Film Science in the Wikipedia Philosophy of Science in the Wikipedia Philosophy of Mathematics in the Wikipedia An Ancient Universe: How Astronomers Know the Vast Scale of Cosmic Time, from American Astronomical Society (AAS) and a letter from the president of the AAS to president Bush about how the concept of  "intelligent design" is a religious idea and not a scientific idea and should not be taught in a science class. Answers in Genesis upholding the Bible from the very first verse with a literal interpretation. Intelligent Design debate from The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, answers Intelligent Design the same way Galileo answered his critics, but with better designed icons and art.  It is a good thing that the inquisition probably has no power now! The Great Story in the Wikipedia, found this after using Google with "Kingdom of Heaven" and evolution. Evolution of Intelligent Design from the New Scientist. Judge Jones' decision on Intelligent Design, read and understand.  This ruling protects both science and religious faith from corrupting each other.     Quote, "Both Defendants and many of the leading proponents of ID make a bedrock assumption which is utterly false. Their presupposition is that evolutionary theory is antithetical to a belief in the existence of a supreme being and to religion in general. Repeatedly in this trial, Plaintiffs’ scientific experts testified that the theory of evolution represents good science, is overwhelmingly accepted by the scientific community, and that it in no way conflicts with, nor does it deny, the existence of a divine creator."  Eden and Evolution, in the Washington Post Magazine on February 5, 2006. Measure of God: Can We Reconcile Science and Religion? 1 hour 7 minute Google video. The Two Cultures a web sight on the conflicts between humanities and the sciences in academia and in the larger culture. Holy Wars by Neil deGrasse Tyson From Natural History magazine, October 1999 History of the Event The first "Faith in Science?" Community Colloquium was on Sunday, November 7, 2004 at 2:30PM in Room 122 of the Health Science Building on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus of Montgomery College.  The panelists were Dr. Duncan McIntosh, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring; Dr. Robert Brown, mathematics professor, Montgomery College; Dr. Paul Arveson, physicist and computer scientist from Rockville, and one of the founding members of the C.S. Lewis Institute in Washington, D.C.; Dr. Tecola W. Hagos, painter, political scientist, and professor of English and philosophy, Montgomery College; Dr. Bill Soderberg, philosophy professor, Montgomery College;  and Dr. Harold Williams, planetarium coordinator, astrophysicist, and professor of astronomy, Montgomery College.  We will have a similar but not identical panel this year.  Some provocative quotes used; one by scientist and philosopher Imanuel Kant; a "FaithInScience.doc." The second "Faith in Science?" Community Colloquium was on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 2:30PM in Room 122 of the Health Science Building on the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus of Montgomery College. The panelist were Dr. Duncan McIntosh, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring and former seminary professor who used a PowerPoint presentation; Dr. Tecola W. Hagos, painter, political scientist, and professor of English and philosophy, Montgomery College; Dr. Bill Soderberg, philosophy professor, Montgomery College;  Karl Smith professor of Political Science, Montgomery College; Dr. Ed McDermit professor of Philosophy, Montgomery College who used a PowerPoint presentation, and Dr. Harold Williams, planetarium coordinator, astrophysicist, and professor of astronomy, Montgomery College. The third "Faith in Science?" Community Colloquium was on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 6PM in the cafateria  of the Campus Center Building on the Rockville Campus of Montgomery College. The panelist were Dr. Duncan McIntosh, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Silver Spring and former seminary professor; Dr. Tecola W. Hagos, painter, political scientist, and professor of English and philosophy, Montgomery College who presented the paper "The Ethical Limits of Knowledge" a Word doc file; Dr. Bill Soderberg, philosophy professor, Montgomery College; Dr. Ed McDermit professor of Philosophy, Montgomery College, and Dr. Harold Williams, planetarium coordinator, astrophysicist, and professor of astronomy, Montgomery College who used "The Two Cultures" a PowerPoint presentation file.  Some student reflection pieces written later by Tecola's students:

A Montgomery College Community Colloquium: Thursday, October 26, 2006 from 6 until 8PM in the Campus Center Building Cafeteria at  Montgomery College , Rockville Campus.

A Montgomery College Community Colloquium:

Thursday, October 26, 2006 6 until 8PM