Fact, Theory, and Understanding

Well, evolution is a theory. It is also a fact. And facts and theories are different things, not rungs in a hierarchy of increasing certainty. Facts are the world's data. Theories are structures of ideas that explain and interpret facts. Facts do not go away when scientists debate rival theories to explain them. Einstein's theory of gravitation replaced Newton's, but apples did not suspend themselves in mid-air, pending the outcome. And humans evolved from apelike ancestors whether they did s...

 NOMA - Non-Overlapping Magisteria

The text of Humani Generis focuses on the Magisterium (or Teaching Authority) of the Church—a word derived not from any concept of majesty or unquestionable awe, but from the different notion of teaching, for magister means “teaching” in Latin. We may, I think, adopt this word and concept to express…the principled resolution of supposed ‘conflict’ and ‘warfare’ between science and religion. No such conflict should exist because each subject has a legitimate magisterium, or dom...