Publication Date:
2009-03-19
Description:
Today, when referring to the relationship between geology and religion, people usually think immediately of Christian (and other) fundamentalists and their chronic palaeontological illiteracy leading to creationism, to intelligent design, and to a distrust of science in general and especially geology, palaeontology and evolutionary biology.1 Thus the relationship of geology and religion is usually considered to be under strain. However, outside this very specific field of conflict, there does not seem to be a relationship at all. Among geologists, as well as among other scientists, it is not customary to talk about one's faith, and so it is hard to tell whether a colleague is practising a religious faith or at least adhering to it in private, or whether he or she wishes to be counted among atheists or agnostics. Such knowledge does not seem to be relevant to our joint scientific efforts. Geology as well as other sciences operates from a methodological naturalism, regardless of whether one is an atheist, theist, or something else. Centuries of observation, collection and experiment have taught us to trust these methods. We no longer expect disruptive miracles to upset the chain of natural causes and consequences. This is not because of any system of belief or disbelief, it is simply from experience, and we certainly have come a long way on this basis...
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