Using the Bible as a Starting point for Scientific questions

The "middle ground" adopted by nearly all believers and unbelievers alike is that when discussing the natural world the methods of science are appropriate for drawing conclusions and for discussion faith, spirituality and feelings about these things then religion is one good source for input.This is the every popular "non-overlapping magistars" of Gould and many others.If the methods used in inquiry about the natural world need to be changed I would like a detailed description of how that would work. Given the problem of determining the possibility of life on other planets how would starting from the Bible help?Given the past history of using the Bible (as an example) as a source to inquire about the natural world wouldn't we be a bit gun shy of such an method. Over and over in history the Bible has been used to support a postition about the natural world and this position has been shown to be unhelpful. Demons cause disease and the Earth as the center of the universe are two examples of this.

I think that Jor-el may have been making a point that, while the Church has one postition that doesn't mean that all 1 billion practioners hold to that position.From the perspective it doesn't matter if the sourse are "official" or not. What matters is how many individuals agree with the official or unofficial position.From a damage to socity point of view it would be better to have an anti-evolution position from the Vatican if 99% of the flock disagreed with it than have an official pro-evolution position that 60 or so % of the flock disagreed with.Of course, I recognize that the original point that someone was trying to make is that to equate acceptance of current science to an "unbeliever" position is wrong. There is no such dicotomy.It might be intesting to attempt to sort out just what the dicotomy is. I have some personal views about the two types of people there are. (There are always two types). The two camps are clearly NOT faithful and unfaithful. (that sorting out is NOT for this topic).This message has been edited by NosyNed, 05-05-2005 07:25 PM