Last week, Jerry Coyne gave a talk at my university, UC Davis. Coyne is one of the "new atheists," people who believe that "religion should not simply be tolerated but should be countered, criticized, and exposed by rational argument wherever its influence arises" (Simon Hooper). In his talk, he argued that science and religion were incompatible, focusing on evolution and religion in particular. When pressed afterward, however, he seemed to grant that not all forms of supernatural-believing religions are incompatible with science; deism, for example, is not incompatible with science. However, he then wanted to know why those of us who were pressing him – people who think that the theory of evolution is well-supported and are not ourselves religious – were giving religion a "pass." We would not, he suggested, give a similar pass to beliefs in UFOs or fairies or tarot cards. And that is probably true. So is there a difference?
Now, admittedly, part of my reasons are pragmatic. I happen to think that religious believers who accept the theory of evolution are our best allies in the fight to keep good science education in public schools. That's because they show people that they don't have to give up their deeply held beliefs in order to accept views about common descent and evolutionary processes like natural selection and random drift. They don't force a choice, a choice that religion would most likely win most of the time.
Within what seems like mere pragmatics lies the core of a more important reason to give religion a pass. Religion, for those who accept it, involves deeply held beliefs. Even as I don't share those beliefs myself, I can see the importance that they hold for others. They help give meaning and purpose, a moral compass, and comfort in difficult times. I don't think the same can be said about beliefs about UFOs, fairies, and tarot cards. So, even as we might point to some of the societal harms that religions have caused, it is out of respect for the deeply held and important beliefs of others that I give religion a "pass."
I think there is common ground to be found between believers and non-believers, and I think it's important to seek that out.
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