From: "Santosh Helekar" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
<<...Understandably, as an ex-Catholic priest Ayala
merely says that "Religious faith and beliefs may
motivate and inspire scientific research (as well as
any other activities)".
* I can see that Prof.Francisco Ayala has not answered my point on
'belief', but only about 'religious faith'. I would continue to insist
that
Faith and Hope are indispensable parts of every day life, which cannot be
lived on a purely rational basis. In any scientific research there are
assumptions, biases and beliefs,
which can be called 'faith' in the common acceptance. A religious
scientist will also be guided by Faith.
There cannot be proof in the strict sense, alternate theories do not
contradict the principle of causality,
they are efforts to explain the phenomena. Faith is required to adopt the
standpoint of theism or atheism.
This should not be a handicap for his research of the Universe or
Multiverse. There is no incompatibility between Science and God.
Truth cannot contradict truth.
<<< "Can you use Karl Popper's
falsification criterion for evolutionary theories?" (my question)
*I did not deny it outright. Not being a scientist, the problem that I see
is
that the evolutionary process is too complex to be answered so
simplistically.
So yet again, it is clear that, not being a scientist,
Fr. Ivo does not understand such basic scientific
notions about important concepts like evolution.
*Yes, it is much easier for non-scientists to understand and believe
that God has been behind the coming of the Universe or Multiverse
than to 'believe' all these 'pull-and-push' theories of scientists trying
to
'design' the world-reality and the multiverse...
Dr.Santosh should know that for us Christians there is no incompatibility
between Creation from
Nothingness by God and
the so-called 'creation ex nihilo' theories of vacuum.
Please also note his second attempt to put the word
"superstition", which he had used in a post four years
ago (in January 2004), in my mouth today, by taking it
out of that old context.
**Sorry for having placed, in the heat of discussion, the words
superstition
and hallucination between the inverted commas, but the large implications
are there from the atheistic discourse.
When you say that God is a "figment of mind", then you can use all these
terms to miracles and supernatural realities--
the existence of God is superstition or unfounded-irrational belief ("This
would be a good strategy"), hallucination
in a common sense, not medical acceptance, infantilism, neurosis, sign of
destitution. Instead of God you can posit
"Santa Claus" at the beginning of the Big Bang explosion
(or expansion) (in a lighter vein). There would be no difference...
Maybe this does not apply at all
to Dr.Santosh who may simply say: "I do not know whether God exists",
"From Science I do not see it",
"Perhaps there is God".
In conclusion, let it be clear that there is no conflict between Science
and Religion.
Regards.
Fr.Ivo
