A must read on sf/f and religion

Hurry on over to SF Signal to a new discussion on the question:

Is Science Fiction Antithetical to Religion?

The question as a whole is: "Two of the most highly regarded fantasy authors - Tolkien and Lewis - were also Christians, whereas the fathers of science fiction were atheists, and SF itself, it could be argued, grew out of Darwinism and other notions of deep time. Is science fiction antithetical to religion?"

The participants are sf writers, critics and commentators: Mike Resnick, Lou Anders, Ben Bova, Gabriel McKee, Jay Lake, James Wallace Harris, Carl Vincent, Adam Roberts, Larry Niven, Andrew Wheeler, Michael A. Burstein, D.G.D. Davidson, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., John C. Wright, and James Morrow. Along the way some identify as atheists, others as religious, and still others don't say, choosing instead to focus on the question.

I'm deeply impressed by the maturity and nuance of the responses. Nobody argues that science fiction is, has been, or must be, automatically antithetical to religion. Many different aspects of the question are discussed. Some respondents do grind their favourite axes a little, but they mostly stay on track. Quite a few interesting treatments of religion are listed, and the names of a number of sf authors who are personally religious are mentioned.

This kind of thoughtful, balanced discussion is very encouraging to me.

Many thanks to Aka for pointing this out!