Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 12/10/07 Section: Mixed Plate

Media Credit: Taylor Hall

Media Credit: Taylor Hall

Media Credit: Taylor Hall

Many students refrained from starting their final studying to join in the controversial debate on the existence of God and the field of science, and the potential of the coexistence of the two.

The "Has Science Disproven God?" lecture entertained a packed Campus Center Ballroom at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa last Thursday night, with UH students and community members on both sides.

The discussion, moderated by Keli‘i Akina, president of Youth for Christ and professor at Hawai‘i Pacific University, included panelists David Haymer, a professor of cell and molecular biology; Marga Jann, an associate professor in architecture; and Robert Joseph and Alan Stockton, professors in astronomy. The featured speaker for the event was Victor J. Stenger, an internationally known physicist and atheist.

Stenger sat front and center in the debate, but contrary to the title of his book, his remarks were not so bold and stringent.

As Akina put it, Stenger "is not an absolutist."

But Stenger was persistent that the experience of God did not work with his scientific theory beliefs, and that he did not understand why God "would hide himself before so many believers."

Divisions between atheist and creationist that may have seemed apparent at the start of the night were gradually eluded, as the panelists shared their personal accounts and journeys to their spiritual and non-spiritual revelations, with no end-all answers.

"Good conversation doesn't end," said Akina, an old friend of the speaker, adding that they would be finishing theirs at lunch the next day.

But the crowd was not as fortunate and was eager to continue the discussion, forming a question line that was almost the length of the room.

Many directed their questions, although some bordered on attacks, at Stenger. One community member could not understand how God had never shown himself to Stenger before, and had some solutions for him to achieve this experience.

The headline was changed from "Science vs. God: Atheist author, four UH creationist professors speak"

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