Challenges from science
Contrasting views
Science uses empiricism and the verification principle to arise to conclusions. Religious method
seems contradictory.
Dawkins: evolutionary biologist and professor at Oxford, disagrees with religion as it goes
against science
Alister Mcgrath (professor at Oxford) and Joanna Mcgrath (lecturer) (both authors of the
Dawkins Delusion): Passionate about science, but still pro religion.
Dawkins believes that religion offers no answers and is anti-intellectualism and pro-violence.
Mcgrath disagrees with Dawkins description of religion, and believes religion can offer some
answers.
The relationship between religion and science
Dawkins says when faced with something complex, religious believers resort to saying that God
created it.
E.g. the eye and Paley.
Dawkins also refers to the modern version of this argument, that if a tornado were to go through
a scrapyard and create a Boeing 747, that would be impossible.
Problems with religious answers
Dawkins says there are two problems with the ‘God Hypothesis’ of design in the natural world.
● Natural selection explains the appearance of complex design from small causes. Explain
natural selection.
● God itself is a complex design, which is more improbable than the eye etc. Dawkins
described God as the ‘Ultimate Boeing 747’.
How did life originate?
Dawkins uses the anthropic approach. Since we exist, the earth must be ‘life friendly’,
considering there are billions of billions of planets, surely one could be chance create life?
Also the multiverse theory, many universe increases chances.
Religion is an aberration
Contrasting views
Science uses empiricism and the verification principle to arise to conclusions. Religious method
seems contradictory.
Dawkins: evolutionary biologist and professor at Oxford, disagrees with religion as it goes
against science
Alister Mcgrath (professor at Oxford) and Joanna Mcgrath (lecturer) (both authors of the
Dawkins Delusion): Passionate about science, but still pro religion.
Dawkins believes that religion offers no answers and is anti-intellectualism and pro-violence.
Mcgrath disagrees with Dawkins description of religion, and believes religion can offer some
answers.
The relationship between religion and science
Dawkins says when faced with something complex, religious believers resort to saying that God
created it.
E.g. the eye and Paley.
Dawkins also refers to the modern version of this argument, that if a tornado were to go through
a scrapyard and create a Boeing 747, that would be impossible.
Problems with religious answers
Dawkins says there are two problems with the ‘God Hypothesis’ of design in the natural world.
● Natural selection explains the appearance of complex design from small causes. Explain
natural selection.
● God itself is a complex design, which is more improbable than the eye etc. Dawkins
described God as the ‘Ultimate Boeing 747’.
How did life originate?
Dawkins uses the anthropic approach. Since we exist, the earth must be ‘life friendly’,
considering there are billions of billions of planets, surely one could be chance create life?
Also the multiverse theory, many universe increases chances.
Religion is an aberration
