Worshiping at the Alter of Science

"Its a scientific fact." This is a phrase that rolls off the tongues of millions. For many this gives validity to any statement. When scientists come out with a new conclusion, the masses cling to it and take it as a fact. There is little scepticism among the majority when "they" say something is a fact. The term they is used everyday. "They say gravity is an attraction between two objects." "They say this is the best new wieghtloss program." These are both facts that have come from a type of scientist. The media puts these out as correct so people cling to them as truth. When did this absolute belief in science come about? This is something that is somewhat addressed in Embracing Mind. Although I don't agree with the majority of the book, I agree with the author's interpretation of history in respect to science and religion; for the most part.


As anyone that reads this blog can tell, I relate almost everything to history. Well, this is no different. I think there are a variety of reasons that science has taken over the everyday lives of most people today. Multiple steps have been taken to make this the "religion" for many. There was a time when people realized that they could benefit from knowing more about the natural world and its set principles. Understanding that wood will float in water ended up changing the world. Boats littered the oceans for hundreds of years. This was the first way that global commerce could get a foothold in th lives of people. Cultures were able to clash and combine. Continents were discovered. This was all a result of someone using science to better their life. Observation is a key component to the scientific method. Even the Bible sets high priority on the seeing-is-believing idea. Science is built off this principle. Observation is the key of any experiment. People have grown to rely soley on what their senses say is "real". There is speculation for anything that can not be seen or felt.

If it is not visible or palpible then it must not be real. This statement has validity in many respects, even to religion. Dictionary.com defines religion as "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, esp. when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs." This definiton is a combination of the tradition thought of religion and the new emergence of science as a religion. Most people equate religion with faith. This is the, sometimes, unjustified belief in events or facts. To the faithful, there may be plenty of justification. Most of this justification comes from the belief in a higher power that can make the seemingly impossible, possible. This belief and the testimony of others has been enough for the majority of the world to believe in different religions. The three most prominent religions in the world-Christianity, Judaism, and Islam-are all guided by the belief of a supreme creator and a book that gives the foundations of how to live. More people have died for their religious beliefs than for any other cause. This is because of a passionate and strong belief in something that can not be seen or felt. Science, on the other hand, relies on the ability to physically confirm a theory. It acts in the same way as a religion. It seeks to find the answers to the questions that are not obvious on the surface. Durnig the Enlightenment, there was a new belief that the scientific method could be used in the observations of social life. I think this is the point where science made the jump to be classified as a religion. Now it could be used in all aspects of life by anyone that choose to use it. Justification in science comes from the observation of the physical world instead of the ideas created by the affirmation of people that lived thousand of years ago. There have been no holy wars in the name of science, but science has led to the death of those whos technology was less supreme at the time. Its a sad thought, but it seems the beliefs that people around the world possess will only lead to the death of others that dont possess the same beliefs.