DarkHelmet wrote:I don't believe they are. They both seek to find answers to the mysteries of nature and the universe, but they go about it in completely different ways, and come to vastly different conclusions.
I think one fundamental difference (at least in a vague/general way) is the type of “answers” they’re seeking for, or claim to have possession of.
Religion (again, in a vague/general way) is usually predominantly focused on the “why” (Ex: “Why are we here?” -- or the more trite “What is the meaning of life?”). I suppose science has answers to these (we’re here because a primordial atom farted in a vacuum), but religion, with its focus on the art of philosophy, tends to appeal to the more romantic aspects of human nature.
Now, to your main question of “are science and religion compatible?” I think that for the most part you’re right, that they aren’t “compatible.” At the same time though, it think that the more philosophical scientific fields (such as Bioethics) can find a certain level of advantageousness in allowing at least an examination of religious mores in certain situations (although, admittedly I think that any religious mores that would be pertinent would likely be mirrored within societal or cultural mores).
Although there is a strained compatibility, I think (hope?) that both science and religion will continue to co-exist. Some will continue to try to find ways to harmonize them (the Catholic Church has quite a few theologians that have an open dialogue at attempting just that), and find ways to help them illuminate each other. Some will continue to demand that either religion or science is for idiots, or full of lies. And some will continue to wonder who got peanut butter in their chocolate.
So, in a way, I suppose that even though they have a really low eHarmony compatibility score -- science and religion can (and will) be bedfellows at times, but Science will continue to wake up the next morning with a headache, wondering what happened to Religion (it was so cute the night before…), swearing off Gentlemen Jack.