‘Science and Religion’ is topic at Philosophers’ Café

The Philosopher’s Cafe meets tomorrow (Thursday, March 10) at St. Brendan’s, 234 S. Washington St., Green Bay, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. to discuss the interface between science and religion. Tanya Randle, a lecturer in philosophy at St. Norbert College, promises to provide all of the answers! Just kidding – like any good philosopher, Tanya will endeavor simply to steer us through some of the more pernicious questions. Here’s a bit of a teaser:

From Copernicus’ revolutionary claim that the earth revolves around the sun to the attempts of contemporary cognitive scientists and evolutionary biologists to explain (or explain away) religious belief, there has existed a tension between modern science and religion. How should we understand the complex relationship between science and religion? Can science “prove” religion wrong? If not, can science at least provide strong justification for skepticism toward religious claims to truth and knowledge? To address these questions, we will need to consider several more basic questions: What is the difference between religion and science? What is the goal of scientific inquiry? What, if any, is the goal of religious practice and belief? What does it mean to be religious or scientific, in the first place?

The Philosopher’s Cafe is an open to all and is a public meeting of the minds to discuss topics of contemporary interest. Prof. Christopher Martin of Humanistic Studies is the UW-Green Bay contact.