The Relation of Science and Religion.pdf - Online Christian Library

66 SCIENCE AND RELIGION.of life." " If it were suggested that physicochemicalelements could originate life, chemistrywould easily supply the ingredients. Ifit were hinted that reliance might be placedexclusively on the action of air or of heat forproducing living organism from inorganic matter,this were to fall back on the old elementalphilosophy of ancient Greece, which thethought of Greece easily repudiated withoutthe aid of experimental science.Attention is, however, here concentratedon the failure of these experiments meant toestablish " spontaneous generation," and inthis failure we find illustration of the fact thatsupposed conflicts between science and religionare often misunderstandings and nothingmore, based on unreliable experiments or unwarrantedexpectations.One other fact deserves to be recorded andplaced in companionship with that just stated,that some of the alleged conflicts between scienceand religion are delusively so described,on account of misunderstanding or misrepresentationof religion. They are fictitious articles,requiring to be properly branded, andquietly laid aside. A single illustration mayRecent Advances in Physicd Science, p. 24.