I suppose the passage below can be a good reference to consider, from the book Billions and Billions by Carl Sagan:
The methods and ethos of science and religion are profoundly different. Religion frequently asks us to believe without question, even or especially in the absence of hard evidence. Indeed, this is the central meaning of faith. Science asks us to take nothing on faith, to be wary of our penchant for self-deception, to reject anecdotal evidence. Science considers deep skepticism a prime virtue. Religion often sees it as a barrier to enlightenment. So, for centuries, there has been a conflict between the 2 fields - the discoveries of science challenging religious dogmas, and religion attempting to ignore or suppress the disquieting findings.
But times have changed. Many religions are now comfortable with an earth that goes around the sun, with an earth that's 4.5 billion years old, with evolution, and with the other discoveries of modern science. Pope Joh Paul II said,"Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish... Such bridging ministries must be nurtured and encouraged..."
And I must admit I agree with the above statement.
The way I see it, to put it simply, what is written on the Bible for example, shouldn't be taken literally, such as how the world was created in 7 days etc.
As we are created to be the creature who has the highest intelligence (even though I did have my doubts in times
) on earth, I see it as a sin not to use that what can be considered a blessing I suppose, to what we decide to believe in, to have an opinion on, etc.
Even though science and religion have different approaches, I do reckon that the findings in science, such as how amazing the way our cells work together in our body (if you read Short History of Almost Everything, you know what I'm talking about), is to emphasise rather than to undermine the faith for those who are religious or I suppose believers of God's existence on how amazing God created things basically, when you can see how at least nearly perfect or how detailed the small things that build a larger system complement each other.
I do reckon that religion teachings are basically supposed to be good, at least from the moral point of view. However, as the teachings are delivered by religious leaders who are people as well like you and I, among who do have their own agenda, this is probably why religion has been distorted to fit that agenda or simply are just being humans with our usual characteristics such as being so bloody stubborn when challenged etc., and on the other side too I suppose, which is part of the reason why there has been a battle between science and religion.
