"There is a new area of science that is shedding completely new light on evolution. It is "evo-devo," evolutionary-developmental biology."The clash between science and religion pretty much depends on the religion in question. If a religion pronounces an authoritative position on an issue that can be tested using the scientific method, there is going to be conflict if the position proves to be wrong.
In 1633 Galileo and the Catholic Church came into conflict over whether the Sun orbited the Earth, or visa-versa. It took a great deal of time, but finally (in 1992) the Church agreed that it had unduly transposed a question of factual observation into the realm of faith.
Charles Darwin's theories about evolution were not published until 1859, so it is not surprising that various religions are having problems dealing with the factual observations of Darwin that conflict with their religious teachings. The origin of life is a much more profound issue than the issue that Galileo was dealing with. The idea that "Life's origin doesn't require a God" is difficult to accept even for those who don't believe that the Scriptures are the literal words of God.
What people must know is that Darwin's theory does hold up under scrutiny. The theory of evolution can be tested, and it has been repeatedly tested as is recounted in Carl Zimmer's Discover article: Testing Darwin. Factual observations demonstrate that evolution can work, and factual observations indicate that life forms on Earth have evolved from common ancestors.
