116 HAS SCIENCE DISCOVERED GOD? 



shell, while the practical task of science Is to provide 

 man with new knowledge and Increased powers of con- 

 trol, the practical task of religion Is to help man to 

 live and to decide how he shall use that knowledge 

 and these powers. 



The conflict between science and religion has come 

 chiefly from the fact that religion often has been 

 afraid of the new knowledge provided by science, be- 

 cause It had unfortunately committed Itself to a the- 

 ology of fixity instead of one of change, and claimed 

 to be already in possession of all the knowledge that 

 mattered. It therefore seemed that to admit the truth 

 and the value of the new knowledge provided by 

 science would be to destroy religion. Most men of 

 science and many thinkers within the churches do not 

 believe this any longer. Science may destroy par- 

 ticular theologies; It may even cause the downfall of 

 particular brands of religion If they persist In refus- 

 ing to admit the validity of scientific knowledge. But 

 it cannot destroy religion, because that Is the outcome 

 of the religious spirit; and the religious spirit Is just 

 as much a property of human nature as Is the scien- 

 tific spirit. 



What science can and should do Is to modify the 

 forms in which the religious spirit expresses Itself. 

 And once religion recognizes that fact, there will no 

 longer remain any fundamental conflict between science 

 and religion, but merely a number of friendly adjust- 

 ments to be made. 



In regard to this last point, let me make myself 

 clear. I do not mean that science should dictate to 

 religion how It should change or what form it should 



