Students and faculty crowded into a Pembroke Hall classroom Tuesday evening to hear a panel discussion about interplay between religion and the theory of evolution around the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.
The panel featured four scholars from around the country who each presented on a different aspect of evolution and its implications for those who believe in a biblical story of creation. Professor of Biology Kenneth Miller '70 P'02 acted as moderator.
"This topic is important because evolution is still controversial in this country," Miller said in an interview before the event. "For most people, the reason that evolution is controversial is a religious reason. They find it contradictory to their religious beliefs, and they find that evolution carries an unwelcome message."
First to speak at the panel was Edward Larson, the Hugh and Hazel Darling chair in law at Pepperdine University and the author of "Summer for the Gods: The Scopes Trial and America's Continuing Debate Over Science and Religion." Larson provided a historical background for the conversation, outlining the development of religious opposition to evolution.
Larson explained that early opposition to the theory of evolution was based on fears that evolution would undermine a belief in God and in practical morality. The argument that evolution is false because it contradicts a literal interpretation of the book of Genesis, he said, is a more recent belief.
Massimo Pigliucci, professor of ecology and evolution at State University of New York Stony Brook and co-author of "Making Sense of Evolution," titled his portion of the talk "Science and/vs./with/as opposed to Religion" and explored the range of positions that are most commonly held today.
Pigliucci first discussed the theory of mathematical physicist Frank Tipler, who believes that science proves the existence not only of a god, but of the Christian God. "This sounds ridiculous, because it is ridiculous," Pigliucci said. "Science cannot prove the existence of God."
Pigliucci also considered theories which hold that science disproves the existence of God, theories that say science and religion have nothing to do with each other and the theory of physicist Richard Feynman, who believed science's "attitude" was incompatible with that of religion.
Mary Bergstein, a professor of renaissance art and historiography at the Rhode Island School of Design and author of "The Philippson Bible: A World of Science and Art," spoke about the significance of the Philippson Bible, an edition of the Hebrew Bible dating from the 19th century that illustrates the scriptures with scientific drawings of the plants and animals that are mentioned.
Miller was the last panelist to speak and chose to address the conflict between religion and evolution directly.
"Evolution is an issue that divides Americans," he said.
Miller, who describes himself as a Catholic, addressed the misinformed idea that evolution is a theory of creation based on the "mistakes" of nature. "Evolution is an inherent and predictable property of nature," he said, and therefore not a mistake.
In closing, Miller added, "An evolutionary 'design' to life is part of the inherent fabric of the natural world. The capacity for evolutionary change ... can be understood by religious people (as) part of God's plan for the natural world."
The discussion was co-hosted by the Cogut Center for the Humanities and the Committee on Science and Technology and held in honor of Darwin's birthday, which was earlier this month.
