I'd like to jump in here with a few comments of my own.
First: A bit of background on myself.
I'm currently a Ph.D. student in the biological sciences, and did my undergraduate work in the field of genetics.
Before that, I was raised in a Catholic household, and went to a Catholic school for nine years. Because of these dual experiences, I feel that I have some small understanding of both sides in this issue.
Next: An observation regarding this thread.
I've noticed a similar pattern in many religion vs. science threads, and in my own life, when talking to the religious devotees. While the scientists have been going out of their way to present scenarios and evidence to back up their assertions, the religious arguments seem to be a simple assertion of unshakable belief. Some rabid, seemingly mindless soldiers on the side of science have posted here, but the later pro-science posts have been rather more rational.
While I remember faith being emphasized as an important attribute from my formative years, I lack an understanding of why many become so fanatical about their faith that they will ignore any evidence that contradicts said faith. Faith is a vital attribute among thinking humans, even scientists. We scientists have faith that the natural laws of the universe will hold true in our daily lives. We believe that gravity will not suddenly cease to function, nor will the atomic forces reverse, sending our component particles flying in all directions. However, we are charged with the task of remaining open to contradictions between faith and reality. Look at Einstein's work with relativity. Einstein believed in gravity, and other suck forces, but saw situations that were not covered by the old rules. Rather than dismiss Newtonian physics entirely, Einstein set out to look for areas which were not properly explained by existing theory. Einstein's work itself was judged incomplete, and the realm of Quantum physics took the spotlight. Does this mean that we've abandoned our faith in gravity? No! It means that we've accepted that our knowledge is always incomplete, and accepted the challenge to constantly seek new explanations.
A famous saying in science is that "A million experiments will never prove me right, but it takes just one to prove me wrong." The strength of science is its flexibility. We realize that our "laws of nature" are the product of an incomplete understanding of the universe, and are willing to update our understanding of these phenomena as needed. I find this sensitivity to evidence lacking in religion. Where is your evidence for the Biblical truth, or that of the Koran, the Book of Mormon, or the Buddhist sutras? How about the Nordic Sagas, Native American creation tales, Incan gods, and the Egyptian pantheon? Where is your evidence in support of your grand theory of the universe? I'll share mine. It's called experimentation. It requires our explanations of the world to match our observations. As one involved daily in such experiments, I frequently see my world image shattered in small ways when an experiment fails. This evidence convinces me that I was wrong, and leads me to a new understanding.
Where is your evidence, oh religious world? Where is your growth in understanding?
Science and religion are truly separate entities. Science is the controlled and accountable study of what IS. Religion is the dogmatic belief in ONE particular explanation of the world, coupled with unwillingness to accept the validity of any evidence NOT in support of that belief. Science is not equipped to prove or disprove the existance of a god or gods, as they exist outside the realm of factual observations, and will remain entirely in the realm of conjecture until such time as our capability for observation expands to include this realm.
I do not claim that there is or is not a divine power. I have no evidence either way. I do not claim the Bible is wrong, again for lack of evidence. I merely claim that without evidence, faith is groundless. Without questioning, thought is useless. Without understanding the concept behind a choice, free will is nothing but an interesting phrase.
I welcome comments and complaints.
