Student Voice of Rock Canyon High School5810 McArthur Ranch Road • Highlands Ranch, CO 80124 • 303.387.3000

Volume 6, Number 3 •November 4, 2009

Science and religion both exist for the same purpose, to answer questions. Despite the similar intentions, when there are different answers to the same questions conflict often arises. The teachers at Rock Canyon want students to learn all of the views, without taking part in the conflict. “I don’t understand the conflict,” World Religions teacher David Sapienza said. “I don’t see why they can’t coexist.” AP Biology teacher Corrine Carlson taught science at Colorado Christian University for six years and has seen disputes first hand, even among members of the Biblical study department at CCU. “I don’t like any kind of dogma,” Carl-son said. “I don’t think it is ever a black and white issue.” Carlson and Sapienza both try to side-step arguments in their classrooms, and just encourage critical thinking. “High schoolers are generally open minded skeptics,” said Carlson. “I don’t see [that attitude] with religion.” “All we should be doing is seeking the truth,” Sapienza said. “And encouraging others to do the same,” Carlson finished. Many disagreements between the church and science have been handled emotionally for years, beginning with Galileo’s death threats and house arrest. These teachers hope students avoid dispute, but observe the theories and draw their own conclusions.

“It’s all theory,” Sapienza said, “and what’s wrong with hearing more theo-ries? They are all just pieces to a puzzle that will never be put together.” As a member of both the religious and scientific community Carlson has developed views that leave no reason for argument in her eyes. “I believe science is nothing more than a documentary of how God created everything,” she said. Sapienza and Carlson agree in that there is no better way for one to honor their deity than to use their gifts to the best of one’s ability, especially if that means using the scientific method and investigating the unknown. “The conflict erupted in Galileo’s time because the Church authority had to reinforce the strength of its voice after the protestant reformation,” Sapienza said. “Now, I don’t see the reason for conflict.” Sapienza attended Catholic school from elementary school through college and was never a part of the debate. “I didn’t even notice it until I was in my 20’s,” he said. “I don’t see why we can’t come up with an infinite number of theories. There may be disagreements, but the Church usually ends up agreeing with the scien-tific community and supporting science.” “I just want everyone to form their own views,” Carslon said. “It is part of our mandate to encourage critical thinking.”

Alex Rowe

Coexistence of science and religionThis year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei’s telescope. Though he wasn’t the first to create one, the discoveries he made with his telescope were both ground breaking and controversial. Page one will look at the tension that has existed between science and religion since Galileo’s time, and pages 14 and 15 will examine the state of his field today.

Scientific and religious conflict: a brief history

1364 BCE

1453

1533

1630

1321

150 CE

1633

Pharaoh Akhenaten closes all temples in Egypt and establishes Aten, the god of

the sun disk, as the chief god. Religion became monotheistic for a time.

Almagest is published. Written by Ptolomy, the title literally translates to “The Greatest”

and states, among other things, that the Earth is round and is at the center of the universe.

After being forced to renounce his scientific findings that contradicted the Catholic beliefs of the time, Galileo was sentenced to house arrest and spent the last eight years of his life making contributions to the field of Mechanics.

Dante publishes the Divine Comedy. Despite mostly religious themes he also points to a spherical Earth, and states the importance of the scientific method in astronomy.

Constantinople falls and one of the last vestiges of polytheism, or paganism, fell also.

Building on and remodeling what Aristotle and Copernicus had done before him, Galileo studied bodies in motion to create new ideas about what the forces of motion and gravity really were.

Copernicus publishes “Commentariolus” which set forth the idea of a Heliocentric (sun-centered) universe, as appossed to a geocentric (Earth centered) universe.

1869

1880

1925

1859

1947 Carbon-14 dating invented by Williard F. Libby, al-lows scientists to date fossil remains back millions of years using carbon degeneration technology.

Charles Darwin publishes “Origin of the Species.” This book single handedly made the statement that evolution and natural selection could no longer be overlooked.

Herbert Spencer writes “Hereditary Genius,” which attempts to legitimize eugenics, the ideas of removing the weaker links in the gene pool.

Scopes Court Trial brings the topic of evolution to the consciousness of the American people. The theory gains popularity, but is still not widely taught.

Modern liberal countries, such as the republican government of France, begin to replace religious instruction with civil teaching.

1692

1776 First Amendment written and ratified. Creates separation of church and state in America.

The Salem Witch trials occur. Dozens of individuals were hung, burned at the stake, and otherwise tortured for being accused of witchcraft, in a time of scientific and religious uncertainty.

The search for understanding never ends, and different views have caused conflict for thousands of years. These are some of the major turning points that have changed the religious and scientific communities.

Information from “Western Civilization” by Jackson Spielvogel

compiled by Logan Thompson

Promoting free thinkingHigh school teachers are pushing their students to form their own opinions

art by Alex Rowe