[Avodah] Rabbi Sacks on 'The Great Partnership'

[Micha Berger]

R/L J Sacks on Science and Religion. In short: It's Gould's notion of
non-overlapping magesteria -- they can't contradict, the discuss different
topics. But RJS says it so well, giving the idea emotional "punch".

And sometimes even maaminim need a reminder that the point of religion
isn't to fill in the gaps in our scientific knowledge. (I know I do.) Our
rishonim offer answers to the question of why an Omnicient and Omnipotent
G-d would create a universe that requires His intervention once in a
while. His Wisdom inheres more in the things science CAN explain than
in the miracles that even in principle can't be studied scientifically.
(Pace the Ralbag, whose actual position on nissim is a longer discussion.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LltoUg_WL2k

That said, I think this is overstatement, as they do overlap when it
comes to discussion of origins. I would instead posit "barely overlapping
magesteria" -- they only overlap at the fringes, where no open question
can threaten my trust in either. Yahadus explains the "why?" of life to
well to question, and many scientific theories do too well at the "how?"
I have a question about where they seem to contradict? Nu nu. Scientists
believe that quantum gravity has an answer, and don't expect either QM
or Relativity to be overturned just because we have a question where
their fringes overlap.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
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