Science vs. Religion?

So I went to this talk tonight about the repercussions that occur when faith and science meet. And the fact that there are even major reactions when these two come within "100 yards of each other." The "celebrity scientists" that grace coffee tables and bathrooms and tops of TVs with their literature apparently have this huge repulsion to any type of religion in general and don't think that the two can coexist. This is not a one-sided argument by any means, however. "Celebrity Evangelical Christians" in literature are just as bad, if not worse, at berating and attacking any kind of scientific exploration and research because it "contradicts the Bible" and "is from Satan." I guess this is partially my Wesleyan upbringing showing through, but using both Scripture and reason to come to theological conclusions seems like a road that we (Evangelical Christian Scientists at least) can travel down together. Especially when using our ability to explore and discover to more fully understand Scripture in matters that are not "necessary for salvation."

The hottest debate in media is the creation vs. evolution debate (even though most science does not focus on this topic). To me, there are two parts to this issue- the Who and the How. The Who, for me, is unquestionably and unequivocally God. Scripture points over and over again to a Creator God, and yes, the main focus of Genesis 1 and 2 is to glorify and praise the intensely personal Creator of everything. The How, however, is less certain and, although I am no Biblical Scholar by any means, Genesis 1 and 2 were written in a literary style not meant to be taken literally, but, as aforementioned, to give the due praise to our Creator. And as scientific evidence comes out to support our creation through evolution, I see no direct Biblical contradiction. I am not 100% confident in this belief, and I don't think there will ever be enough evidence to prove the world's creation through evolution, but by not allowing this possibility, it seems we are confining God to a "little white box." Obviously there are questions that arise such as when did we acquire the "image of God," but I, as are many other more intelligent people, am working through that as time goes on.

All this to say that I don't understand why this huge chasm exists between science and religion. And by those attempting to bridge this gap, the key is not to attack the "other side" or turn it into a boxing match of "science vs. religion," but to look at the issue of how we came to be from many different angles and come out of our egocentric beliefs that "we are right, and you are not, and so we have to attack you and defend ourselves from such heresy." Maybe this is just the Sociologist in me. But, to me, that mentality is nothing close to the love we profess to be the center of all we do.