Expert: John Shea - 10/27/2004

Question
What is the most credible explanation of how dinasaur evidence (evolution) and biblical belief (creationism) can co-exist?

Answer
Phillip
To me, biblical belief and science are fundamentally different ways of thinking about reality.  Biblical belief's standard of proof for its explanations is faith.  The more you believe in something, the more satisfying the explanation.  Science's (including paleontology's) standard of proof is evidence, usually organized in terms of hypotheses that are possible to prove wrong.  Gravity, for example, is not affected by how strongly you believe in it.
When religion and science stick to their appropriate subjects (supernatural phenomena and empirical reality) there is no conflict.  The trouble starts when religious standards of proof get applied to explanations of natural phenomena and when science tries to answer questions about supernatural beliefs.  Because the Biblical account of Genesis, like the mythologies of most of the world's cultures, contains an account of the origins of the world (a natural phenomenon) this tends to be a flashpoint for controversy with scientific investigations of the origin of the world and humanity.
This is my take on it anyway.  For a further exploration of this subject, you might have a look at Richard Dawkins' recent book, The Devil's Chaplain.
Sincerely,
John Shea