Both Science and Religion are faith-based. A SWOT analysis of each is undertaken, with some uncomfortable messages for practitioners. This powerpoint presentation of 90 slides is provided as a basis for a discussion to help for a better understanding. It will become clear that confrontation and isolation of science and religion breads ugliness, distrust and is unhelpful .

2. Science and Religion-
Ugly Sisters in a Suffering World?
Barry E Jones
Emeritus Professor of Engineering
Brunel University London
Company and Charity Director
50 years of Methodist Local Preaching
All slides copyright to Barry E Jones, Stancombe House,
38 Moorlands Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, UK .
14 March 2018
C

10. SWOT analysis
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

11. Strengths of Science
• Simple ,yet powerful methodology.
• Shared activity worldwide.
• Aims to disprove,ie seeks errors.
• Exploited through engineered technologies.
• Applicable across all areas of life.
• Results in major benefits to humankind.

15. Weaknesses of Science
• An amoral pursuit.
• An addictive activity.
• Results in evils as well as good.
• Transfers moral responsibility to others.
• Cannot deal with the supernatural.
• Reductionism and non-holistic.
• Encourages humanistic scientism.
• Elitist activity, poorly understood by non-
practitioners.

17. Soldiers in the Laboratory
• ~ 4 million scientists,engineers and technologists (~ 50% of
total numbers worldwide) develop military technology for use
of force.
• The arms trade contributes to conflict, human rights abuses
and poverty.
• The UK MoD only spends ~ 6 % of its budget on conflict
prevention.
• Urgent need to place social justice, peace and sustainability
at the centre of considerations of security.
• Need to encourage people to avoid working on military SET
and to choose civil benefits of SET.

18. Opportunities for Science
• In Western Europe the Biblical God and the Church are on the
defensive and the influence of christians is declining fast because
of rapid culture changes.
• Science (incl. engineering and technology) perceived as the means
to solve humanity’s problems in
– Medicine --- Energy
– Safety etc ---Food
– Shelter ---Water
– Transport
• Science perceived as likely to provide solutions to the major
problems now affecting the globe. Religion is increasingly seen as
one of the problems.

19. Threats to Science
• Unable to succeed in the time-frames
required.
• Lack of technologists and engineers.
• Resistance to change and acceptance by the
populace.
• Its dangerous use and diminishment of public
support.
• Public ignorance of science.

20. Unrecognised Science Faith
 Accepts that the universe is governed by dependable,
immutable, absolute, universal, maths laws.
 Takes physics to be a ragbag of rules that allows life to
exist.
 Thus science is a faith-based belief system.
 Many scientists are deeply anti-rational about this, and
have the idea that laws exist without reason.


21. Strengths of the Biblical God
• Created and maintains the good reality
experienced by us.
• Has the compassionate character of Jesus of
Nazareth.
• Values, recognises and strengthens us
• Has personality.
• Seeks our well-being through love and justice.

22. Weaknesses of the Biblical God
• Can be violent, cruel and domineering.
• Inconsistent behaviour: loves and punishes.
• Split personality, therefore creates division
amongst people.
• Requires sacrifices for forgiveness of sins.
• Requires only heavenly faith for salvation,
not earthly virtuous action.
• Allows unwarranted suffering.

23. Opportunities for followers of the Biblical God
Rediscovery of the Jesus message “ hidden” for
nearly two millenium by the institutional Church
and its domineering heavenly belief dogmas.
Seeking justice for all on the Earth requiring
sacrifices by the powerful and the wealthy.
Seeing the Creation as a precious gift for the
Kingdom of God and not to be dominated by the
powerful and wealthy.
Finding salvation through repentance, prayer and
exemplar actions for justice.

24.  The humbling of the traditional institutional
Church.
 This Church being forced to downscale, regroup
and work on the margins of society.
 Recapture cross-cultural evangelism.
 Fresh non-institutional expressions of Church
outside church buildings.
 Seeking the goodness of God already within the
diverity of non-religious individuals,groups and
communities.
 Rapprochement with religious Jews and Muslims
on the basis of a common Abrahamic Godly
tradition.
 Greater knowledge about the historical Jesus.

25. Threats to the Biblical God
The difficulty of achieving harmony between religions.
Worldwide mass education, secularisation , global 24/7
communication, and multiple personal social identities.
Increased scepticism about the supernatural.
Desertion by the young, particularly young women.
Growth of cultures where individuals develop and
regularly change their pick-and mix low-depth
spiritualities.
Science providing big benefits and seen as the ‘saviour’.

26.  Institutions out of favour.
 The churches divided, sidelined, marginalised and
out of the mainstream.
 Traditional church memberships aged and in
continuous decline.
 God often seen as part of the problem, not the
solution.
 Religion under attack from atheists and materialists.
 The large number of nominal christians who lack
commitment and are largely ignorant of the Bible.
 Literalist/fundamentalist reading of the Bible.

27. Quotes
• Science gathers knowledge faster than
society gathers wisdom”. Isaac Asimov
• “I almost think it is the ultimate destiny of
science to exterminate the human race”.
Thomas Love Peacock
• “Science can purify religion from error and
superstitution. Religion can purify science
from idolatry and false absolutes”. Pope John
Paul 11

28. FAITH IN WEALTH CREATION ?
 You cannot distribute wealth unless you have it to
distribute.
 Economics is seen to be about scarcity, growth,
efficiency, innovation, productivity, creation of
surplus, competitiveness, risk, heightened
ambition, entrepreneurship.
 Today economies are driven largely by
science/technological change on a global scale.
 => so-called “progress through globalisation”.
 Most economies now depend on free markets and
market capitalism to invest to increase wealth.
 But some goods are judged inappropriate to leave
to the market, eg health, education, housing,
welfare systems, armed forces and police.

29. WEALTH CREATION: OUT OF CONTROL FACTORS
 Real scarcity and “created scarcity”.
 Future science/technology changes are likely to be
unexpected, big and rapid, via“science/technology seeking
applications”.
 Economic activity is one of increasing“creative
destruction”and”power-seeking”, therefore the future for
jobs is increasingly uncertain.
 Declining”loyalties”within enterprises and organisations.
 The“influences”of local and national democracies
diminishing.
 Life-long learning and longer working lives becoming
necessary for individuals/families“to survive economically”.
 In the UK demographic changes are resulting in serious
imbalances, eg 16 million people aged 65+ by 2030 and a
smaller working population to support the young and the

30. Some Questions
1. DOES HUMAN FLOURISHING REQUIRE AVAILABILITY OF WEALTH THROUGH
TECHNOLOGY?
2. DO WE HAVE FAITH IN THE CURRENT APPROACH TO WEALTH CREATION?
3. IS THERE A THEOLOGY OF SUCCESS?
4. DOES RELIGIOUS FAITH CONTRIBUTE TO WEALTH CREATION?
5. WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT/DONOT BENEFIT FROM THE
CREATION OF MORE WEALTH ? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? SOCIAL NEED?
6. IS THERE A PLACE FOR A JUST PRICE, COMMON GOOD, SERVICE, HUMILITY,
SELF-SACRIFICE, ABSTINENCE, COOPERATION, REFLECTION IN WEALTH CREATION?
7. Do SCIENCE AND RELIGION HAVE WHOLLY DIFFERENT WORLD-VIEWS?
8. HOW COULD/SHOULD THEY COOPERATE MORE TO SHARE/CREATE WEALTH ?

31. Technologies
Three categories…………
*Technologies of the human
body.
*Technologies of the human
mind.
*Technologies of the external
environment.

32. Technology comes from Greek word
“Techne”
…….it means craft,art or
knowledge……
……machines,chemicals,
instruments…..
…….techniques and methods.
Techne has three elements: tools,
processes, and a social context.

33.  Modern Western culture has deified
technology such that it is the centre of our
understanding of ourselves and our
surrounding environment.
Technology => progress for modern
societies.
But technology transforms and replaces
nature => “technological tyranny”?

34. • More than anything else technology creates our
world : our wealth, our economy, our very way
of being. And technology is now science-based.
• A great deal more of the world emerges from
its technology than from its wars and treaties.
• Indeed we place our hopes in technology.
• But technology responds not primarily to
human need but to its own needs.
• And so technology both directs our lives and
serves our lives.

35.  Therefore central questions are: “How does
technology evolve?” Can technology be controlled?
 Technology is made up of combinations of
technologies which all use phenomena to some
purpose. So technology captures phenomena and
harnesses these to “human purposes”.
 Novel technologies arise by combinations of
existing technologies; existing technologies become
building blocks for new technologies =>
combinational evolution.
 Technology is ever changing and becoming more
sophisticated and biological. And conceptually
biology is becoming technology.

36. • It is mainly taxation by governments that
funds invention, novelty and innovation to
develop technologies. Then private capital for
profit employs labour (for income) to create
the demands in global markets. Governments
and international organisations funded
through taxation try to regulate for negative
outcomes.
• Technology is increasingly used to intervene
directly in nature, eg genetic engineering,
machine intelligence, bionics, climate change.

37. The Dark Side Of Technology
 Technology can make us more vunerable .
 Possible drug-related mutagenic changes.
 Sunspot could now cause global catastrophe
because of our interconnectivity.
 Nuclear catastrophe.
 Atmospheric pollution.

38. Megashifts
Ten great shifts => combinatorial effects………………
Digitization
Mobilization
Screenification
Disintermediation
Transformation
Intelligization
Automation
Virtualization
Anticipation
Robotization
Will technology become the purpose of our lives?
Technology has no ethics.

39. Technology Enslavement?
*Technology “enslaves” our nature and “extends” our
nature.
*We should not accept technology that deadens us, nor
always equate what is possible with what is desirable.
*How can technology affirm our humanness, as defined
by challenge, meaning, purpose and alignment with
nature?
*How can we avoid “technology de-personalisation”?
*What is the relevance of religion to these questions?
*Can democracy play any role in controlling technology?

40.  Creativity, responsible
dominion, and relationship
lie at the centre of our being
in a continual tension.
 Technology can cause us to
lose sight of this and so
become destructive.
 Can 10 billion human beings
hope to remain human?

41. Mismatch: Fast Technology-Slow
Religion
 Traditionally humans, eg Jesus and Mohamad,
lived with slow changes--both slow increases
and slow decreases.
 Now almost all humans live with fast changes,
ie exponential rates of change--both fast
increases and fast decreases.
 For example very rapid world population
growth (1.5 billion in 1940, 8 billion in 2020).

42.  How has religion encouraged
or discouraged these
exponential changes ?
 Has religion adjusted to the
world it has created?

43.  The world capitalist economy requires continual
growth (at least +2 % per annum) for it to survive
as a system. There are major consequences for
the natural world, the environment, food and
energy supplies.
 For the last 300 years technology has changed
rapidly, economies change rapidly, rapid social
and cultural changes occur.
 Doubling time T from a growth rate r :-
T approximately equals 70/r, ie 70 divided by r.
eg student loans with r = 6 % per annum, then
debt doubles in 12 years (debt of £ 40,000
becomes debt of £80,000).

44. The Enlightenment
 Last 300 years. Key originator: Immanuel
Kant(18thC).
 Based on reason, science, humanism and progress.
 Resulted in scientific rationality, liberal humanism
and the “new athiesm”.
 Indispensible to this has been evolution, entropy
and information.
 But this modern science lacks any ethical logic of
its own.
 Friedrich Nietzsche(19thC) opposed The
Enlightenment and took a pessimistic view of
society and culture. He promoted “a will to power”.

45. Richard Dawkins
• “ ..three bad reasons for believing
anything.They are called ’tradition’, ‘authority’,
and ‘revelation’… “
• “..evidence is a good reason for believing
something…”

46. Scientism
 Steven Pinker (b. 1954) now strongly
promotes The Enlightenment and claims for
it all subsequent society progress.
 But Science as a philosophy (Scientism) was
overtaken by the philosophy of materialism.
 Both materialism and scientism now seem to
have run their course.
 So is Spirituality the new frontier ?

47. KNOWLEDGE
 To make factual knowledge, belief must be true, ie it
must be justified in someway(eg by evidence).
 Knowledge is more than information.
 Knowing involves abstracting information and
interpreting it for use at different times and in other
contexts.
 Knowledge is defined as the route to truth.
 Our confidence in our own knowledge is often based
on the certainty that somebody else knows.
 As individuals we know hardly anything.
 To some degree our knowledge depends on trust.

48. KNOWLEDGE (cond)
• Seeking knowledge seems to be a human addiction.
• Knowledge is intimately bound up with language.
• Knowing something is a far richer, more complex state,
than merely believing it.
• The ability to distinguish between fact and opinion,
and to constantly question what we call knowledge, is
vital to human progress.

49. KNOWLEDGE (cond)
• Where does it come from?
• One way to classify knowledge is by how we
acquire it:-
• =>PERCEPTUAL: the direct evidence of our
senses or sensing systems;
• =>TESTIMONIAL: facts we acquire from other
people;
• =>INNER SENSE: awareness of our own feelings
and states, such as pain and hunger;
• =>INFERENTIAL: knowledge we stitch together
ourselves from raw inputs.

50. • We are part of the universe we are trying to measure,
so we cannot achieve full knowledge about the
universe.
• Therefore we will never overcome limitations of our
minds.
• We are “within ourselves”.
• There is no self separate from the brain that interacts
with it.
• No human being can express full truth about
themselves (the fundamental barrier of self-
reference).
• When the body dies the “I” goes with it.

51.  Science cannot prove a negative.
 Science conclusions are accepted when they fit
with our experience of the physical world.
 Most of science comes down to trusting the
source.
SO
SCIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE
COME DOWN TO TRUST

52. HOW WILL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORM THE
WORLD OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE FUTURE?
 Professions claim particular knowledge, skills,
experience and ethical standards: the gatekeepers.
Knowledge is commodified to become intellectual
property(IP).
 Could and will the digital world of the internet,
artificial intelligence(AI), robotics and automation
replace the professions---partially or completely?
Will/should IP become redundant?
 What are the ethical and practical consequences of
your answers?
 How can religious moralities contribute insights to
help formulate answers to these important global
questions?

53. Truth
 In the West knowledge derived from the
senses(empirical science) has been
elevated to the sole source of truth.
 Moral truths are no longer considered
truths, but merely expressions of
emotions.
 Morality has become personal tasts.
 This fact/value split is very debilitating.

54.  But if all things were created by a single divine
mind, all truth forms a single, coherent,
mutually consistent system.
 Truth is unified and universal. Creation has a
rational, intelligent order that reflects God’s
creative plan. Truth is a unified whole.
 So Christianity as a philosophy deals with the
whole of reality.
 Modern Science as a philosophy only deals
with part of reality.

55. Religion and Secularisation
Christianity was the culture norm in Britain for over
1500 years till the early 1960s.
From about 1963 onwards British Christianity as the
dominant culture norm has been in rapid decline.
For example,the British Methodist Church Connexion
had a peak membership of around 745,000 between
1946 and 1956. In 2017 the membership was down
to about 188,000 and continues to decline at a rate
of about -3% per annum, aiming for membership of
about 100,000 in 2030.

56. Scholars say this has been as profound a
rupture as the Reformation.
In this current case the people of Britain
have voluntarily given-up on a
christian/church norm culture. The
Church has been marginalised. The
christian clergy have lost standing,
influence and status in society.
But British Islam is growing and muslim
numbers increase.

57. WHAT HAS BEEN A MAIN CAUSE OF THIS
RUPTURE?
Enlightenment? Industrialisation? Evolution?
Science/Technology?
and/or
Welfare State? Globalisation? Consumption? Social
Liberalisation? Individualism? Feminism?
Immigration? Environmentalism? Secular Humanism?
and/or
Dogmatism, non-relevance and/or rejection of new
social norms by main-line church denominations?
and/or Character change of the people? Other?

58. Artificial Intelligence(AI)
 There is ever increasing computing power
and high quality data => AI.
 It is believed that the AI economy will follow
the digital economy to a new industrial
revolution:-
estimates suggest 20-40% of jobs in the
economy are at high risk of automation by
the early 2030s
the greatest impact will be felt by the
poorest communities.

59.  AI is the idea of developing computers
that can think and perform tasks that
have normally required human
intelligence.
 There is now a goal of serious
engineering development of AI systems.
 Machine-like “humans” => human
identity crisis.

60.  AI and social media lead to sharper,
more antagonistic and polarised opinion.
 How do we protect our data and
identity(and that of our children and
grandchildren)?
 Is human identity linked to human
intelligence?
 What does it mean to be human….to
have human personhood?

61. Early Sciences
In 333 BC Alexander the Great found writings in the
Persian capital written in the arabic language on the
various sciences….medicine,astronomy and
astrology…..
From China came knowledge of paper-making and
inks were developed.

62. Biblical Engineering and
Technology
• Structural technology is in the Bible eg Noah was a
civil engineer(the Ark), Bezalel and Oholiab were
construction managers(the Sanctuary), the Tower
of Babel was a major construction.
• Metallurgy features in the Bible at many places.
• So craftsmanship through skilled people with
imagination is featured strongly in the Bible.
• In fact the Bible says we have been created to be
creative.

63.  Early Christians engineered and used new
technology for dissemination of knowledge
eg scrolls => codex format
papyrus => parchment.
In 1450 AD a humble christian goldsmith(or
engineer) Johannes Gutenberg invented the
movable-type printing press to distribute
scripture widely.

64.  The number of books 50 years after this
invention was equal to European scribes
previous 1000 years of work.This changed
society.
Christianity “ took on” the philosophical
worldview that resulted in the “climate”
necessary for science to develop in the 16th
century and lasting through to the 18th century.
There was a belief in gifts given by the one-God
to humans with freewill : ability, intelligence,
know-how, knowledge, craftsmanship.

65. In the 4th century Cappadocian
theologians set forth four fundamental
principles:-
-the cosmos is coherent;
-the cosmos has relative autonomy;
-the cosmos uses the same substance;
-the Christ incarnation means that
material “ can be used to advance
human salvation.”

66. The number of books 50 years after this invention
was equal to European scribes previous 1000 years of
work.This changed society.
Christianity provided the philosophical worldview
that resulted in the “climate” necessary for science
to develop in the 16th century and lasting through to
the 18th century.
There was a belief in gifts given by the one-God to
humans with freewill : ability, intelligence, know-
how, knowledge, craftsmanship.

67. Early Christians engineered and used new
technology for dissemination of
knowledge
eg scrolls => codex format
papyrus => parchment.
In 1450 AD a humble christian
goldsmith(or engineer) Johannes
Gutenberg invented the movable-type
printing press to distribute scripture
widely.

68. Christianity was “essential” for the
development of science, but today
that dependency no longer exists.
A majority of mathematicians, physical
scientists, engineers and technologists
are still religious, but biological and
social scientists are not so.

69. ISLAM AND SCIENCE
 Science is a universal tool for knowing.
 It means the systematic study of the natural world.
It comes from the Latin word (from around the 14th
century) scienta, which means “to know”.
 The Islamic caliph al-Mamun who ruled 813-833 AD
had a dream “ …. knowledge has no borders…to
block out ideas is to block out the kingdom of
God…”. This Muslim self-belief enabled Islamic-era
scientists in Andalusia (Cordoba), Spain to
accomplish a great deal (~ 750-1300 AD ).

70.  A devout muslim Al-Haytham was a
physicist born in circa 965AD. He has been
referred to as the first real scientist
employing the scientific method.

71.  The Muslim scientist Muhammad Abdus Salam,
Nobel physics laureate,1979 said….
 “….one-eighth of the holy book speaks of science
and technology…..”.
 Islam needed science: astronomy => clocks for
more accurate prayer times => time-keepers in
mosques; algebra => calculate inheritance
according to Islamic guidance; religious
teaching’s on healthcare => development of
medicine and hospitals.

72. Dr Rupert Sheldrake,biochemist and plant
physiologist, and author of numerous books.
“………religous belief and practices enhance
health and happiness…….rejecting religion cuts
you off from many activities that do
this……….and the decline of religion in the West
is one reason why there is so much
depression….” 2018

73. Quotes
• “Reason,observation,and experience: the holy
trinity of science”. Robert Ingersoll
• “Ethical systems are completely unlike
mathematics or science”. Daniel Dennett
• “Science without religion is lame, religion
without science is blind”. Albert Einstein

74. Quotes
• “The first duty of a man is the seeking after and the
investigation of truth”. Cicero
• “It has been said that when human beings stop
believing in God they believe in nothing.The truth is
much worse: they believe in anything”. Malcolm
Muggeridge
• “A man lives by believing something”. Thomas Carlyle

75.  In both the 19th and 20th centuries
Science asked hard questions of
Faith. Christians didnot respond well.
 In the 21st century Faith needs to ask
hard questions of Science.
 What are these questions?

76. Trust, Sacred and
Spirituality
 Trust infers reliability, integrity, surety,
confidence, hope.
 Both evidence through science and revelation
through religion can generate trust.
 Both science and religion can point to creation.
 But only religion points to justice, compassion
and love.

77. Salvation through Lifestyle,Discipleship,
and Witness with good Godly
ideas, principles, values, practices,
and personal experience………….
• Non-violence
• Reconciliation
• Equality
• Community and belonging
• Justice
• Forgiveness
• Trust
• Caring
• Harmony
• Goodness
• Sense of good purpose
• Truth-telling
• Love
• Generosity
• Voluntary poverty
• Sacrifice
• Inclusiveness
• Grace
• Mutual respect
• Acceptance
• Relationships
• Making a difference

84. The Creative God of Dynamic
Processes
Revelations through ancient Holy Books => slow semi-static
impacts/outcomes (largely driven by centralised church
organisations)
Revelations through Book of Nature => rapid dynamic
impacts/outcomes (largely driven by ideas of individuals)
Now the answers to “Why” and “How” questions interact
Thus answers to ultimate questions of meaning ,purpose
and values needs both Religion and Science
 “ These two Ugly Sisters need each other for creative
dynamic harmony in the global village”

85. Believing versus Seeking
Caricatures
• Believers
• => followers
• => boundary bound
• => closet minds
• => controllers
• => nostalgic
• => suspicious
• => fearfull
• => cautious
• => narrow views
• => decide before evidence
• Seekers
• => leaders
• => provisional
• => open minds
• => enablers
• => changers
• => brave visionaries
• => foolhardy
• => broad views
• => await evidence
• => experiment
• =>pilgrims and travellers

86. Seek and/or Believe ?
The Gospel of Thomas (not in the Bible)
The author writes that Jesus said
”Let one who seeks not stop seeking until he finds”
“If you bring forth what is within you,what you bring forth
will save you”
The Gospel of John (put in the Bible)
The author writes
“ Believe that Jesus is the Messiah,the Son of God.....that
you may have life”