William Atkins
Saturday, 17 May 2008 21:14
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 2
The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) held a discussion on Thursday, May 15, 2008, at the Wohlstetter Conference Center in Washington, D.C., United States. The topic at hand was “Does Science Make Belief in God Obsolete?"
The afternoon
event by the
American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research was co-sponsored by the
John Templeton Foundation (JTF).
The AEI is a
"private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare."
According to the website of the JTF, its mission is to
“… serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discovery in areas engaging life’s biggest questions. These questions range from explorations into the laws of nature and the universe to questions on the nature of love, gratitude, forgiveness, and creativity.”
The reason for holding such a discussion was to debate science and religion in society and, especially, the interaction of religious beliefs and scientific beliefs.
The AEI website states,
“As a glance at the headlines or the best-seller list demonstrates, religion is an increasingly prominent subject of debate in American life. Polls show that America is becoming both more evangelical and more secular, and the discussions about religion’s role--particularly in public life--are often acrimonious.”
Consequently, the AEI and the John Templeton Foundation invited 13 prominent “thinkers” to write short essays on the question “Does science make belief in God obsolete?”
Who were among the contributors to this event? Please read on.
