Participants in dialogue between religion and science must work to dispel the notion that the two disciplines stand in total opposition to each other, said a theologian with the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University in Washington.
"Just like I have been trying to do my entire life, the dialogue should attempt to remove the false obstacles in the way of discussion, namely that religion and science are incompatible opposites," John Haught told Catholic News Service June 18.
The interview was prompted by a panel discussion hosted two days earlier by the Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion, which is part of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Moderated by Jennifer Wiseman, the new director of the dialogue, the panel had four speakers who discussed the theme "Re-Envisioning the Science and Religion Dialogue." They reached an agreement on three basic principles: no name-calling, civility and a need to help develop an interest in science among the public.
One crucial viewpoint was missing on the panel: the Catholic perspective.
Haught has written 18 books on the subject, including "The Cosmic Adventure: Science, Religion and the Quest for Purpose," "God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution" and "Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution." He has been involved with religion and science dialogue for many years, teaching a course on the dialogue at Georgetown University.
"Many people still do not have a very deep understanding of the relationship between science and faith," he said, adding that many don't even have much interest in this relationship.
"Look at the numbers: 50 to 60 percent of Christians consider evolution and Christian faith incompatible," he said.
To Haught, most who believe in the conflict model of religion-science dialogue cannot explain why they think the two are irreconcilable.
Catholics who hold this view need "to get over it," he said. "There isn't any controversy about the reality of the evolution in the scientific community, so why in the church?"
As Pope John Paul II said in a message to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences on Oct. 22, 1996, Catholics need to construct a theology that shows how divine knowledge, providence and wisdom can be affirmed because of evolution.
Pope Benedict XVI said in 2007 that evolution and the existence of God the creator should not be seen as two ideas in strict opposition to each other.
"Evolution exists, but it is not enough to answer the great questions," such as how human beings came to exist and why human beings have an inherent dignity, he said.
That is why the religion-science dialogue is so important, said Haught.
"If the Catholic Church wishes to remain with an appropriate understanding of God, then it must accept evolution," Haught said.
He suggested that the dialogue should reach out to the seminaries and schools of theology and show the importance of science education.
Even more than that, he said they should reach out to the people sitting in the pews. "It will be important to hold more available conferences and other opportunities for people to meet and discuss the topic."
The dialogue should focus on bringing people into contact with the whole body of theology and science, said Haught.
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