Science and Religion articles on old NYU site

Avi Rabinowitz

just because it didn't happen

doesn't mean it isn't true

May 26, 2015

SCIENCE AND RELIGION

The Alleged Conflict between Science and Religion is a Hoax

Science is a programatic attempt to find naturalistic explanations for objectively observable phenomena, whereas religion assumes the existence of a realm which is by definition beyond the natural; many of the supposed 'conflicts' between science and religion are due to a misunderstanding of the ramifications of this fundamental difference between them, and a misconstrual of what science or religion actually claim. Some religious fundamentalist claim to be able to 'prove' that there's a God, that the Torah is divinely revealed truth, or perhaps that the universe is only 6,000 years old and can prove that scientific origin theory is wrong or even a pack of lies. Some atheists claim they have scientific or philosophical proof of the opposite. My approach is against both of these extremes: equally against alleged 'proofs' and 'disproofs' of religion or science. To my mind, religion (or more specifically Traditional Judaism, with which I am more familiar) is neither provable nor disprovable, and claims that it is (one or the other) are – to me – equally false.

Perhaps not all humans possess conscious awareness: some philosophers may indeed be 'Mindless Materialists"

What I believe, and what I know about my belief

The Hoax and the Irony

Science, atheism and biblical religion.htm

There's no real conflict between science and religion, only between extreme views on the part of both.
Some Ironies
Lord of the Flaws: Mutual Respect for Scientific Theory and Biblical Creation
"I'm Neutral, You're Biased"
Warped Parallels
Egocentrism & Geocentrism ; Fundamentalism and Skepticalism; Human Significance & Existential Despair". The full original article was reprinted in ""Science in the Light of Torah"
Astrology, Karma, Free Will, Einstein Cosmology

Intelligent Design

"Unconvincing 'Proofs' of God, Intelligent Design, Convergence of Religion and Science. [Title of the keynote address I delivered at the 2006 annual convention of the AOJS (Association of Orthodox Jewish Scientists); part of the content was based on the mini-articles below.]Why Religious People Need Not Champion Intelligent Design (ID)
Directed Evolution (A weak form of ID),& Possible Convergence of the scientific and spiritual descriptions of the universe.
Darwin's belief that an intelligent mind designed the universe: and: The Common Ground of Science and Genesis

Scientific & Religious Origin Theories - e.g. Evolution, the Big Bang, Genesis

Free-willed Consciousness and Creation: When applying the scientific program [the programmatic attempt to find naturalistic explanations for objectively observable phenomena] to physical evidence on Earth the evolutionary theory is arrived at. Put another way, given the assumptions that the universe arose naturally and that all follows according to laws of nature, and given various observed facts, the modern origin theory follows quite logically. Something analogous can be said for the Biblical origins account. Combining various traditional sources we can suggest the following as the Torah’s creation axiom:

In a free-willed act an all-powerful being designed and created a natural universe containing entities morally responsible for their choices.

The Traditional understanding of the creation account in Genesis can be understood as in some sense following from this axiom, just as the origin theory of science follows from the assumptions underlying the scientific approach.

excerpts from the book "The Instant Universe".

Quantum Metaphysics and Genesis: Einstein, Kabbalah & Free Will

Einstein & Morality; Free Will, Quantum Physics & Cosmology

The Instant Retroactive Universe: Genesis, Creation & Evolution in the light of Kabbalah & Quantum Physics

From Amoeba to Moral beings

Summary of/Excerpts from: my book: "Free-Willed Consciousness and the Retroactive Universe"

Summary of/Excerpts from: My book: "A Garden of Edens"

Annotated Table of Contents
Synergy, AntiSynergy and Annihilation: Is Our Understanding of Genesis So Plastic it has no Meaning?
Traditional and radical traditional approaches to Allegory vs Literalism in the Bible
Ways in which 19th century writers 'reconciled' science and religion.
The History of the Instant Universe Idea (Gosse and his predecessors)

The mini-articles below are excerpted from the article "The Instant Retroactive Universe": see link above.

Quantum Metaphysics and Adam "The Retroactive Universe: How the Emergence of "Moral Beings" (eg Humans) Catalyzed the Emergence into Existence of the Universe Itself!"
When God was Bored (After all, the Universe was, at best, a Washing Machine)
God's Design of a Blueprint for the Universe: the laws of nature and the Creation Account
The First Stage of the Universe : not the first moment of Existence but the first moment of Purposive Existence
The Instant Evolutionary Universe: Neither Wasteful nor Cruel
The above are excerpts of the article: "The Instant Universe: And God Said, 'Let there have been a Big Bang' ".
Conclusion of my article Free Will and Cosmology ".