The National Academy of Sciences has
stated: "science can say nothing about the supernatural." According
to the late Stephen J. Gould, science and religion are two
"non-overlapping magisteria" (NOMA). In the recent Dover, PA court
case, both sides testified that the ground rules of science would have to be
broadened to allow for the consideration of supernatural forces. This plays
right into the hands of those who accuse science of being dogmatically
committed to a totally materialistic view of reality. In fact, science can and
does study phenomena, such as intercessory prayer, which if empirically
verified would be highly unlikely to be explainable naturally. Furthermore, the
total absence of any scientific observations in support of supernatural forces
can be taken as strong evidence that they do not exist. Scientists must stop
giving religion a special dispensation from any critical analysis of religious
claims.