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In the module five discussion, our group considered how debates about science and religion differ across cases like Copernicus’s heliocentrism and modern evolutionary theory. I argued that disagreement over religion isn’t just about religion, but it also involves cognitive biases, and the abstract nature of the evidence, as well as the varying levels of trust in institutions. Unlike seeing planets through a telescope like Copernicus’s case, the strongest evidence for evolution is across genetics, fossils, and population biology. These often require more inference and trust, rather than just an observation. I think this helps explain why disagreement can persist even alongside strong scientific consensus.
Lindsay made a good point that scientific training and peer review justify deference here too, and that when people perceive a conflict with faith, clear communication about what science does and does not claim can reduce tension. Lindsay also noted that uncertainty is reasonable with experts being in disagreement. However, in evolution there is a broad agreement, which should make people more convinced in it. HoweverMakayla emphasized that skepticism is legitimate when evidence is weak, but many people also frame evolution as threatening to beliefs about meaning and purpose, which can make it more resistant than the Copernican case of heliocentrism.
Overall, our group converged that evidence has strong evidence and a robust expert consensus. I think that today’s environment can clarify and polarize beliefs because of the widespread knowledge within the world. I think that expert opinion should be trusted when evidence is strong, but experts should not be trusted blindly. I think that evolution is particularly hard to trust for some people, as it can infringe on their religious or personal beliefs, even if the evidence is strong.
I think that the group discussions as a whole helped me develop my own personal opinions, as well as learn more from others. I think that by discussing, it helps people converge on an idea that might be a common ground between the two. In every aspect of life where you have a personal opinion, such as politics, I think it’s valuable to learn from others and discuss.
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