Friday 31 October 2014

Discussing Science and Religion

Today, following on the heels of some creative interpretation of Pope Francis' recent remarks, I accidentally got dragged into a discussion about whether science and religion are intrinsically opposed to one another. It's a frustrating topic to discuss, because people who have actually educated themselves about the topic are few and far between. I'm under the impression that most people don't actually care, but there's a vocal - which is to say, completely obnoxious - minority on either side who think that science and religion are diametric opposites.

I literally took a four credit upper division course in college about how science and religion are complementary, not adversarial. There's a wealth of scholarship on this subject which is, nonetheless, ignored by both Christian and atheist alike. I could probably write a book about this whole topic, and someday maybe I will, but it won't be for a very, very long time if it happens at all. Regardless, I kind of think that an atheist buddy of mine, Kevin, might be interested in discussing it. Based on a recent discussion we had about global warming, I get the impression that he's somewhat reasonable, and that he understands that I'm somewhat reasonable. So, I'm presenting him, and anyone else who might jump in, with a list of some of the books that were on the reading list for that course.*

  • The Galileo Connection by Charles E. Hummel
  • Reason in the Balance by Phillip E. Johnson
  • Science and its Limits by Del Ratzsch
  • Science and Religion edited by Gary B. Ferngren

    The following video is of a Spring 2012 debate presented by the Socratic Club at Oregon State University. The topic is "Is Christianity Anti-Science?".


    So, I'm basically writing this so that I can link to it on Facebook to spur some cordial discussion on the topic. If you're just someone finding this by accident, I hope you find it useful and thought-provoking.

    * I also want to give a plug for one of my all time favorites, How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill. This one wasn't on that particular reading list, but it's one of my favorites. It's about a bunch of Irish monks who preserved and then re-proliferated timeless literature, to include the likes of Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates, during the Dark Ages. It's also a great read. Yes, I realize that the Islamic world also played a role in preserving some of those classics. The Islamic case is obviously quite different from the Christian case, but these faith traditions' efforts to preserve science and knowledge, albeit in different ways and for different reasons, is conspicuous evidence against claims that religion is inherently anti-science.
  • Thursday 23 October 2014

    Dhofar Links (Temporary)

    Please disregard this, I'm working on a project and will delete it in a few days.

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    Sandhurst's sheikhs: Why do so many Gulf royals receive military training in the UK?
    Irregular Pen and Limited Sword - PSYWAR, PSYOP, and MISO in Counterinsurgency
    Understanding the Complexity of Reconciliation, Reintegration, and Amnesty for the Enemy in Counterinsurgency Warfare
    The Fight for Oman 1963-1975
    Strategic and Operational Implications of Iranian Military Operations in the Iran-Iraq War
    Desert Guerrillas - Psychological, Social and Economic Characteristics of the Bedouin which Lend Themselves to Irregular Warfare
    Insurgency and Counterinsurgency
    The Role of the Operational Commander in Counterinsurgency
    Revolution or Realism - United States-Iran Relations in the Post-Cold War Era
    The Iranian Revolution - A Case Study in Coercive Power Consolidation
    The Question of Iranian Occupation of the Islands
    Insurgency in Iraq - A Historical Perspective
    Why Insurgents Fail - Examining Post-World War II Failed Insurgencies
    Lions in the Path of Stability and Security - Oman's Response to Pressing Issues in the Middle East
    Greece and Oman - Successful Anglo-American Counterinsurgencies Viewed from Current American Counterinsurgency Doctrine
    Short of General War: Perspectives on the Use of Military Power in the 21st Century
    A Line in the Sand - A Historical Study of Border Security During Insurgencies
    United Kingdom Use of Salalah Port, Sultanate of Oman for the Movement of Military Explosives
    Key Considerations for Irregular Security Forces in Counterinsurgency
    Operations at the Border - Efforts to Disrupt Insurgent Safe-Havens
    Defeating David - Looking Beyond a Matched Strategy
    The Integration of Information Operations into Army Operations During Periods of Unstable Peace and Insurgency
    Closing the Security Gap - Building Irregular Security Forces
    Locals Rule - Historical Lessons for Creating Local Defense Forces for Afghanistan and Beyond
    Generation of Combat Power by Insurgents - An Historical Analysis
    Military Support to Indirect Security and Stability Surge Operations
    Fighting the Global War on Terror Tolerably - Augmenting the Global Counter Insurgency Strategy with Surrogates
    The British Approach to Counter-Insurgency - Myths, Realities, and Strategic Challenges
    The Organizational Imperative - Theory and History on Unity of Effort in Counterinsurgency Campaigns
    Hearts and Minds - Its Evolution and Relevance to Counterinsurgency Campaigns
    Army War College Welcomes Foreign Exchange Class Of Future Brutal Dictators
    Nessen Papers - Q&A about SQBS Meeting with President Ford
    Memorandum - SQBS Meeting with President Ford
    Memorandum - Letter from SQBS to President Ford
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    Oman’s Insurgencies: The Sultanate’s Struggle for Supremacy
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