Christianity Theme 3 E Specification Content The relationship between religion and society: respect and recognition and the ways that religious traditions view other religions and non-religious worldviews and their truth claims. Historical developments in religious thought – challenges from science: Richard Dawkins’ and Alister McGrath’s contrasting views on the relationship between religion and science, and the nature of proof; the limits of science; the ‘God of the gaps’ argument

The Challenge of Science Dawkins versus the McGraths

Richard Dawkins When have we studied Dawkins before? What is his attitude to religion?

Design versus natural selection Fred Hoyle’s example Absurb to say a tornado could blow through a scrapyard and create an aeroplane – the improbability of chance This doesn’t mean we need to accept the God hypothesis

Challenges to religion (challenges to the Teleological Argument and Atheism) Natural selection explains complexity without reference to God Natural selection should inspire us to find answers to questions we currently do not know – Why or how there is life on the planet

Memes – element of culture passed from person to person by imitation or non-genetic Religion is flawed and unreasonable Religion can be explained as a meme – humans obey elders and we are biologically programmed to assign meaning and purpose to animals and objects Dawkins denies that scientists can be Christians – they are afraid or confused Believing in God is like believing in Santa – something we should grow out of . . . .?

Alister McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath You have read his article – ‘Has science killed God?’ How does he attempt to defend religion in the face of challenges from science. ‘The God Delusion is a work of theatre, than scholarship.’

Antony Flew When have we studied Flew in Philosophy? Flew was an atheist He converted to Christianity (good example for Philosophy Theme 3). ‘There is a God: How the world’s most notorious atheist changed his mind’ How can Flew be used to defend religion against Dawkins’ challenges?

Stephen Jay Gould – evolutionary biologist NOMA Can you remember what it stands for? The McGraths prefer the concept of POMA Partially overlapping magisteria

God of the gaps – again, you should be familiar with this What is the God of the gaps argument?

Response to God of the gaps Michael Behe – Intelligent Design Can you remember what the idea of Intelligent Design is? We looked at it as part of the modern Teleological Argument

Dawkins – science can fill the gaps Explanation – science explains Exhortation – don’t need religion to exhort (encourage/push) us to a moral life Consolation – consoled by new discoveries not religion Inspiration – science shows the universe as awe inspiring Theists response Reject God of the gaps theory Believe God is involved in all areas of life Swinburne The best explanation for the intelligibility of the universe is that it has been created by an intelligent God (Ockham’s razor)

Defending religion 1. Religion can critique its self – old Testament prophecy, feminist theology Inclusive ministry of Jesus e.g. women – Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Susanna, gentiles Capacity of religion to transcend and transform human conflicts – Dawkins takes the Bible out of context, Rev. Martin Luther King, The danger of an absence of religion e.g. communism, Stalin The fact that religion is more than belief

Richard Dawkins Debates Alister McGrath 2012

Christianity Theme 3 E Religion and science AO2 ‘A scientist must be an atheist’ ‘Science has demonstrably reduced the role of God’ Dawkins McGrath ‘Religion is a destructive and violent force in the world and humans would be better without it’ ‘Religion is antithetical to science’