Given the domain of science and the domain of religion, a person's
values will pretty much dictate how they will treat an issue where
science and religion overlaps. I do not believe in a religion, so my
values will direct me to accept the scientific explanation of things
that are within the domain of science. However I realize that for
someone who places a higher value on their religion than science,
they will accept their religious explanation over the scientific. I
may not agree with them, but I can understand and we can have a
dialog with that understanding. This also shows me that to change
this person, I do not focus on the issue, but on changing their
values.

But what about issues that are not within the domain of science?
When religion claims an issue that is not within the domain of
science, how can we deal with the discussion? For example - the
beginning of life. Science can tell you when an egg is fertilized,
when a heart is formed, when a brain is formed, when the central
nervous system is developed, when a fetus is viable and could live
outside the womb, and when a baby is actually delivered. But science
cannot tell you when life began.

Yet religion will jump in and try to say when life begins. (And as
you can suppose, different religions will define it at different
times.) The problem is that they often do not use critical analysis
in their determinations as they resort rather to dogma as to the
arrival of one's "soul". But critical analysis is an approach, not a
domain. How do Naturalists answer the question of when life begins?
Once that is done, then a discussion can be held as to abortion,
human rights of the fetus, responsibility of the parent(s), etc.

To me, it seems that this should be addressed by stating that the
question is a wrong question. There is no moment when life begins.
There are many issues which are answered by viewing them on a
spectrum rather than one or the other polar opposites.

But it would be nice to identify a domain for these non-
scientific "wrong questions" and how to treat them. Once
these "wrong questions" are identified, we should be able to deal
with them in a consistent and logical manner to show why the question
is a "wrong question" and what should be done to phrase it in the
context of a "right question".

David Kimball