CTNS Public Forum with Greg Cootsona, "Listening to Emerging Adults and Discerning the Future State of the Dialogue of Science and Religion"
Free and open to the public
Hedco Room, 2nd Floor, 2465 LeConte Avenue, Berkeley
Through the projects Scientists in Congregations (SinC) and Science for Students and Emerging Young Adults (SEYA) Greg Cootsona identified six key problems facing the integration of science and faith:
Young adults sense that religion is against—is at war with—science (and vice versa, to some degree). They may not actually feel it themselves, but they hear it on the news. One key area is epistemology—“religion is based on faith, science on evidence.”
The topic of science and religion seems too heady, takes too much effort, and is not connected with pressing life issues.
Speaking specifically of Christianity, the Bible seems outdated and unscientific.
In terms of the church’s often rejecting the LBGT community, religious communities often seem uninformed by science and therefore actually immoral.
Many emerging adults would rather Google than go to a congregation in pursuing of answers about science and religion.
Emerging adults find it hard to decide on one religion in light of all the possibilities for spirituality, which makes it difficult to know what religion to bring to science.
Cootsona categorizes these six problems in four categories: perception of conflict; resistance to intellectual work; ancient faith, modern problems; and pluralism and decisions. His presentation will discuss his findings and engage with these questions.