After the widely viewed debate between Bill Nye "the Science Guy" and Ken Ham, the founder and CEO of the Creation Museum in Kentucky, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and its Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion program released a project which will involve bringing scientists and evangelists together in Chicago. Surprisingly, many of the people participating are both scientist and Christian.
The main objective of these new annual gatherings is not to determine whether science and religion could co-exist. Elaine Howard Ecklund (Rice University), stated that the two already do. The question is how well do they co-exist.
A study by Ecklund and Galen Carey (vice president for government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals) revealed rather surprising results between scientists and Evangelists. For instance, more than one third of American scientists expressed in the survey that they have no doubt that God exists. 17 percent of scientists consider themselves evangelical, and 18 percent of them partake in regular religious activities.
Simultaneously, the study also revealed some less encouraging results as well. For instance around 20 percent of the general population and of scientists expressed hostility towards science and science is hostile towards religion. Around 30 percent expressed that science and religion are in conflict.
AAAS insiders announced that they will use the new data collected from the research to conduct the upcoming meetings that will be taking place in Chicago. Carey stated that, "We respect the fact that science has a role to play." He also added that science needs the understanding of both society and the Christian community for the two to co-exist.
