Science and Religion: Compatible or Incompatible Explanatory Realms?

Among portrayals of evolutionary biology and intelligent design, some evolutionary biologists and organizations have claimed religion and science are compatible, commonly referred to as ‘accommodationism.’ This claim is, from the perspective of science, wholly incorrect. While religion and science are similar in that both seek causal explanations for natural phenomena, this does not render the two approaches compatible or not in conflict. The sciences seek causal understanding by way of theories and hypotheses that ensure understanding is open to critical, empirical evaluation. Reliance on supernatural-based theories and hypotheses are operationally immune to such testing. For religion and science to exist in a complimentary state, religious theories and hypotheses would have to be limited to explaining non-empirical, supernatural phenomena, while scientific theories and hypotheses are applied to natural phenomena. The opportunity for asymmetrical causal overlap is obviated, thus denying the accommodationist position.