Religion, Science, and Media

Daniel Stout

Science and religion represent dominant worldviews and distinct ways of comprehending the world. Their relationship, although complex and often misunderstood, is an ongoing subject of social discourse and examination. In certain periods of history, little distinction was made between the sacred and secular. At other times, incompatibility of these worldviews has been stressed, resulting in public debate and, at times, considerable conflict between scientists and religious leaders. Persecuting scientists during the Inquisition, silencing the astronomer Galileo, and arguing against the teaching of evolution in the 1925 Scopes trial are some examples. The science–religion interface has communication dimensions and cannot be understood without attention to information dissemination and accuracy. How media depict science and religion is important to citizens as they make choices and attempt to comprehend the larger society. The relationship between science and religion has been perceived differently through time. In ancient Egypt, for example, God was at the ...

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