Are religious fundamentalists anti-science?

Question

Some religious fundamentalists put down science all the time. I have seen posts by fundamentalists proclaiming evolution is a conspiracy, the big bang didn't happen, the earth is only 6000 years old, dinosaur bones were laid their by the devil, AIDS is God's punishment etc etc.

The list goes on, and on but the implication is clear. Science is bad. Is it because it disagrees with a 3000 year old verse buried somewhere in the Old Testament?

If they are so anti-science why don't they also reject medical science, electrical equipment, cars and planes, electronic communication. They are all products of science too.

Answer 1

Anything that threatens their beliefs becomes dangerous to their faith. They find ignorance to be bliss and simply want to shut out the din of science and reason so they can live such a life.

It's simply idiotic any way you look at it. They are willing to pick and choose from science what they like, just like they do with their bible.

Answer 2

You answered your own question. I am a fundamentalist and I am not against science. However I am against evolution because it's bad science. Science is not bad, evolution is bad. The theory can't be proven, it does not fit the definition of science and it is based on false assumptions. Why would I believe in something like that?
The definition of science is something that can be observed, tested, demonstrated, repeated and falsafiable.
Macro evolution and the big bang are none of those things.
You can't observe it, you can't test it, you can't repeat it in a lab and you can't falsify it. So it is a philosophy based on beliefs, not science.

Even the age of the earth cannot be proven by science. Do you know how many flaws there are with the dating methods used to date fossils, rocks, stars, etc? It is based on archaic science with false assumptions.
New evidence arises every year that supports a young earth.
You can check out www.drdino.com and download seminar #1 "The age of the earth" for some compelling evidence about this.

But what the unthinking person does is lump everything together in one gross generalization. Because Christians do not believe in evolution, they get labeled as against science. Since when is evolution the only science there is? The other sciences you mention are very much reputable sciences. Why do I have to believe in evolution to believe in science? The last time I checked, there were many other scientific fields besides evolution.

There are even 5 different definitions of evolution. I agree with one of them which is micro evolution or variation in species. The others are macro, cosmic, stellar, and chemical. None of those fit the aforementioned definition I gave of what science is.

If you do some research on arguments against evolution, you will find that Creationists have some strong arguments which should be given equal consideration. If a science is open for debate, that means it hasn't been proved. I don't debate physics, math, electronics, etc because they are proven theories. Evolution is not a proven theory by any stretch of the imagination.

As far as some people who say that dinosaur bones are from the devil, that's just ridiculous. Please be mature enough to understand that some people who are Christians are severely ignorant and speak when they should listen. But that's no different with any other group of people in any race, creed or religion. We all have our "uncle larry's" we try to keep hidden when company comes over. Unfortunately, some of them get loose before we can hook the leash back up.

Start with dr dino and then go from there. answersingenesis.com is another good reference.

I don't reject evolution because of my religion. I reject evolution because of the scientific research I have done. I used to believe in evolution until I did some very extensive research on the subject and found it to be impossible.

Answer 3

Did you know, that during the "Dark Ages" -called that by modern historians because of the spiritual darkness Europe was under-(500-1000AD) there were very few scientific advancements made. It was during and after the period of the Reformation (mainly during the 15-16th centuries) that a great breakthrough in science/medicine was made. This is because the Bible itself is full of scientific fact and encourages men to discover the truth, and learn more about God's creation.

What you have to ask yourself is, is what you are calling 'scientific' really science? who can prove that the earth is millions of years old? Is it really so much easier to believe that over billions of years something as utterly vast and complex as this universe came out of nothing? If you look at an intricately designed and incredible piece of equipment that took men many years to fine tune and design, could you just look at it and say "Oh, somebody just put a whole bunch of materials together in a box, shook it up and voila! I've got a telescope that can penetrate hundreds of thousands of miles into outer space." No, of course not. So how does something far greater and complex than a telescope somehow come into being from ... nothing? Unless, of course, there was a Master Creator. Think about it. It only makes sense.

Anyway, to answer your question, is what you are calling science actually science, or is it just guess work thought up to get rid of a need for God?

Answer 4

Only the science that contradicts there religion. It is becoming more obvious every day that religion is a scam for idiots but people keep getting suckered in. When was the last time someone did a miracle? I guarantee that someone has performed science more recently like using your PC turning on a tap. Good question pal.

Answer 5

This is a very difficult question. I see opinions on both sides of this question continually on Yahoo! Answers. I find it interesting because I am a scientists and also a person of faith, and I consider myself very devout. And yet I personally sense no conflict at all.

The problem that people set up for themselves, in my opinion, is that they assume that we must have enough information to answer the questions all now. This just isn't the case. For example, back in the day, people believed that the world was flat. But when measurements and navigation got more sophisticated, people realized that it was round. Our scientific understanding of the world changes as we continue to investigate it. Any good scientist should be able to tell you that we simply don't have all the answers yet. If we did, we would be out of jobs because there would be no more questions to answer! Science does not have truths, we simply have a collection of hypotheses that haven't been disproved yet. I think it is a real mistake for scientists to believe that we have all the answers now.

Likewise, many people who don't have strong religious beliefs often fall for the "if I can't see it, I won't believe it" idea of religion. This is also a mistake, because even their own scientific practices involve testing ideas that have not yet been established in any kind of hard evidence. Faith is a part of our daily lives; we act in the hope that something will happen. How much of a stretch is it to have faith in God, then? Unfortunately, people often argue that you must have something wrong with your mind to believe in God. This is absolutely not the case. Belief in God and rigorous scientific thinking are possible in the same person. I think just about everyone can name a famous scientist who believed in God. Did that person's belief make his/her scientific theories less important?

People of faith aren't off the hook, either, because oftentimes people misunderstand the writings of prophets that are found in the Bible, for example. I am not saying that the prophets' teachings are not true. They are indeed true, but we don't necessarily know what they meant. Many times the prophecies are poetic, or refer to different time periods at once. At any given time of your life, the meaning of scripture can change for you because the Holy Ghost will make that scripture mean something different for you according to your needs. So it's also important to remain open to the new understandings of scripture that we can continually receive. It would be a mistake to feel that you already know everything about God and that He can't teach you anything new.

So, in general, I suppose that people in general should be open-minded and willing to look for truth, whatever the source. Because, after all, aren't science and religion just two different methods of trying to learn truth? I think it's a shame for people to believe they are so opposed to each other when in fact, they have the same goal.

P.S. to the previous answerer: miracles happen every day. It's just that you don't recognize them. That doesn't mean they don't exist.

Answer 6

They aren't really anti-science. They use cell phones, computers, cars, air conditioning and other things invented through the study of science. They only disagree with it when it contradicts what is written in the Bible or what they believe. It's easier to live a comfortable life that way.

Answer 7

First, none of you seem too scientifically companies... 2d, if so, Please grant me a single Chemical or rather regulation or thought that allows you to end that close to to doubling atmospheric CO2 (by capacity of utilising people , it incredibly is documented) could haven't any next Thermodynamic outcomes. undergo in concepts, the warmth temperature retention properties of CO2 have been universal using actuality the 1820s... further, prepare me any shred of documents that shows ecosystems (which society is, by capacity of utilising any favourite) do now no longer regulate their environments, (and there are distinctive examine showing such in deleterious concepts)... till finally persons can disprove the plain speculation that we do administration and impression the ambience and climate, then we are able to concentration on the mechanisms of approaches this performs out indoors the open earth systems... playstation - volcanoes are "background" emissions and can't be replaced, yet there is adequate documents showing the link between extra effective classes of volcanism and CO2 ranges concomitant with Warming... every physique be sure for to communicate the Paleocene_Eocene Thermal Maxima?

Answer 8

Some are extreme that is for sure. I am pro-science because science itself just, IMO proves to me a Creator. Why do we have the ability to dabble in, dive in and conquer our environment through observation if we evolved? What matter, what function, what survival of the fittest does the higher brain give us? If this is so crucial, so positively great for a species (look at humans life expectancy compared to most) why haven't other species evolved the same way, or at least to some sort of similar function?

Answer 9

I don't think that God is punishing us with AIDS, though I do believe that all disease is the result of the curse on all of creation.

I completely believe that science is a very good and useful tool. However, origins science, dealing with the past, isn't the same as operational science, which deals with present events that we can observe. No one saw the beginning of the universe, in fact, no one is still alive who saw the signing of the declaration of independence. We make assumptions about the past based on what we have today. I agree that the declaration was signed bc ever since it happened, it's been talked and written about, and I believe it to be reliable bc of these documents. However, no one saw the creation of the Earth. We make assumptions about the past. We assume that various dating methods are accurate and the rates we use in those methods haven't changed, but what if they have? Radioisotope dating is commonly used as proof that the Earth is millions of years old, yet in experiments we've been able to make the decay rates hundreds of times faster. Couldn't that happen in nature, too, then? It's not the science I challenge, it's the assumptions behind it. Until ppl make the Bible, God's Word, their foundation, the conclusions they come to are always more likely to have error than if they trusted in His Word.

Answer 10

The word science is very broad in meaning. There is more truth in the bible than in all science combined. Remember it was in the name of science that people were put to death for believing in the earth being round. Religion is mans beliefs and is just as broad a term as science. Everyone puts their faith in something weather it be religion, science, man, themselves, or other things. I don't personally believe in evolution, I think it's a religion to explain away God's good work. Of course there is good science just as ther are good men but there are a lot of bad men and educated ignorants.