Why do most believe science only when it fits within their belief system?

Question

Alcoholism and smoking is an allergy/addiction or a personal problem.

God created the world or it as just a big bang.

Being Gay or Lesbian is an illness or is a lifestyle.

The world is warming because of humans or is only part of the cycle that earth goes through.

Which is science & which is ????

Answer 1

Most people have a hard time changing their beliefs. Whether its science or a different religious viewpoint, people psychologically have a hard time accepting new information that contradicts earlier information.

In Richard Bach's book, Illusions, he talks about the fact that we all pretty much believe whatever we have the most fun believing. Whatever belief makes us the most comfortable.

The belief that the Earth is the center of the universe is a very comforting thought. When Galileo proved scientifically that it was not, the world was outraged. He was excommunicated from the Church and jailed as a heretic. Suggesting that we aren't quite as important as we thought was a very uncomfortable thing for people to deal with.

It doesn't matter if something can be scientifically proven: If somebody has a strong enough pre-existing belief, then they will find a reason to refute the science.

Your examples: Personally, I believe God created the world. And he did it with the Big Bang. He's omnipotent, so he could do it however he wanted. So people who say the Big Bang refutes religion are basically saying that the God they are "defending" doesn't have the ability to to do it the way that we can see it was done. Those people have put a limitation on God, and I think that's silly.

Being gay is part choice, part biology, part upbringing, part life experience. Why do people insist that it is exactly one thing? Because that's more comforting than believing that it's actually a complex issue. If it's a complex issue, then they might not understand it. If it's simple, then they can say they understand it and so they'll believe that. I think a person without any physical predisposal to homosexuality can "learn" to enjoy living that way. One with a physical predisposal isn't "doomed" (for lack of a better word) to homosexuality if their upbringing and experiences teach them to enjoy heterosexuality. It's a combination of lots of things.

The world is warming because of natural cycles and humans. We have an obvious effect. We can even see weekly cycles where temperatures change due to the weekends when there is less industry. No cycle in nature is weekly. Weekly cycles are purely human-made. If we can see temperature differences on weekly cycles, then we are obviously having an effect. Nature is having an effect too, though. The axial tilt slowly processes, and we're due for some warm weather anyway. We compound the problem with our actions. And then people believe that it is simpler than that because that's more comforting to them. They can safely point at nature and say, "Not our fault", or they can safely point at humans and say, "We're killing ourselves". Not many people admit that we are working in tandem with natuire to bring about the things that happen to us. That's too uncomfortable, so too few people will consider it. It's too much like the Earth not being the center of the Universe.

Science itself isn't even an absolute. Experiements have human bias depending on what the researchers are hoping to find. Even the most carefully constructed experiment can accidentally leave out some factor that the scientists didn't think of because it never occurred to them that it might have an effect. Scientists tend to (sometimes) believe that their experiments provide absolute proofs. Instead, they usually just build upon a past history of postulates. And if some fundamental thing is found to be wrong, all of it could come tumbling down. This happens from time to time in cosmology when they find stars older than the universe. Oops! Then they have to figure out a new way to age the universe.

Answer 2

Alcoholism and smoking are physiologically an addiction...science. They can also play a large role in your psychology, which you relate to a personal problem, but also.....science.

Whether or not you believe that God created earth is a matter of your own faith. Science looks for physical answers to how the earth was formed (i.e. the Big Bang theory), which is lacking when it is attributed to formation by God (i.e. faith).

Being gay or lesbian is not an "illness" as you put it. Yes, it is a lifestyle...whether or not that lifestyle is attributed to our genes is still unanswered.

Scientist think that the world is warming due to the deposition of gases in our atmosphere, but there are also scientific arguments that it may be a natural cycle...considering the earth's history.

You are asking big questions...and expecting answers. Science is constantly working toward answers, we just don't know everything yet because the answers do not always come that easily, nor are they always that "black and white". You can choose to believe what you want to believe.

Answer 3

Opinions are not rational, they are formed emotionally. Education does have its influence, but even more so if it follows a straight line, without any important paradigm shifts. So if one is told again and again that the world was created in seven days and is flat, than the notion of a big bang or a round earth is just too big a change.

The scientific answers are, as far as I know: alcohol/smoking are addictions; a big bang started the world; gay/lesbians are wired like that; the world is warming because of humans but not all scientists some to agree.

Answer 4

Don't forget that evolution is still a theory that requires you to BELIEVE in it's many assumptions. So why is this thoery still being taught in our science classes? Science is tangible. Provable. Right? Evolution has it's points, but many of these points require assumptions and are not reproduceable. Therefore, it will always require someone to believe in it. Creation has it's many points, as well, that have been scientifically backed, but, when it's all said and done, you still have to believe in it as well.
If you strip both theories down to the core, they both sound silly. Both require a certain amount of faith. I mean, evolution says that nothing became something, blew up, and turned into everything. Creation says that God created everything out of nothing.

I highly recommend that you research the science behind both and really try to form your own opinion. You can probably guess which one I have chosen. Check out these websites:

answersingenesis.org and drdino.com

Answer 5

A true scientist looks only for the facts. Scientists create theories to catagorize, explain, and predict changes in those facts. No theory that is based on reason and logic is excluded.

Most of what you've brought up is based on the social-sciences, which are not true sciences as thier data are not concrete, and their experiments cannot be duplicated.

Answer 6

None of the examples you mentioned are science. Science is something that can be proven experimentally, none of these can be proven either way. Thus which ever you believe is based on faith, either faith in a supposed "expert", or faith in God.

BTW, where fact are few, experts are many. I don't remember who said it, but it is a good quote.

Answer 7

True science is about things that can be tested not about beliefs. How can one test a belief?
Extraordinary claims need extraordinary proof.

Answer 8

Read your bible and you will find the answer you are looking for.
Seriously! Do it!