Sir, - Dr William Reville (The Irish Times, May 4th) set out to argue that science and religion are compatible but what he actually argued is that science is the benchmark by which religion is judged. When science and religion do agree, religion has become science. Dr Reville then said of the Book of Genesis that, rather than literally, "this can be interpreted as the evolution of consciousness". It could also be interpreted as a lot of other things but current scientific knowledge defines the terms on which the story in Genesis is rationalised.
The reality is that religion has aspects that are beyond science. As Niels Bohr said "The opposite of a correct statement is a false statement. But the opposite of a profound truth may well be another profound truth." - Yours, etc., Raymond Callan
Hurlestone, Ardee, Co Louth.