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Science and religion, the Muslim view
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The Moon is central to Islam - but they don't have a problem with Astronomy.
In a follow up to my series on the Bill Nye comment that the Moon reflected light from the sun that caused some to walk out, Baltimore Muslim Examiner, J. Samia Mair, gives her views on the compatibility of science and Islam:
I read somewhere that science describes nature whereas religion gives it meaning. In other words, religion and science do not have to be incompatible. In fact, the Qur'an instructs us to contemplate the signs of nature in order to learn more about God, Glorified and Honored is He:
"We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the truth." (The Noble Qur'an, 41:53)
According to Mair, there would be no reason to walk out on Nye for his statement. In fact, it is the reflection of the sun's light that makes the metaphor work: "The Prophet, whom Muslims believe is the best of all creation, most perfectly reflects the light of God, just as the moon, the brightest object in the night sky, most beautifully reflects the light of the sun."
You can read the rest, but it's interesting to see this kind of embrace of science rather than the often adversarial relationship we often get from Christianity here in the States. This is not true everywhere. I've talked to several science reporters a theological student about hot button issues like evolution or global warming, and they just aren't the partisan issues they are here, where these things tend to become litmus tests for the worthiness of your soul.
The fact is, the Catholic church and most of the major denominations don't disagree with Evolution. So, it is not Christianity that is an antithesis to science, or even American Christianity, but Evangelism that has somehow managed to present themselves as the only form of Christianity that exists.
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