Is Science a Natural Enemy of Religion? Why, or why not?

Question

Do you believe that science is a natural enemy of religion? Explain why/why not

Answer 1

Is science the natural enemy of religion? That's a good question, and one which I think people should probably ask themselves a bit more critically.

The kneejerk answer from the religious folks who find themselves floundering in a world where their religious points of view are increasingly ill fitting is that it's the enemy of religion because it seeks to disprove God's will.

The kneejerk answer from those who see religion as a sham would answer they're natural enemies because science uses truth and evidence to expose religion as a lie.

What's the real answer? I don't think science is the "natural enemy" of anything. In order to be religion's natural enemy, one of the purposes of science would have to be the destruction of religion, regardless of circumstances.

That's not a tenet of science. Science is about observing the world around us, looking at relationships between things, and trying to gain a better understanding of the world and Universe in which we live. Science, in short, is a way of questing for the truth.

If religion, in some form or another, is true, then science should eventually bear it out and prove the truth of it. That would make science and religion great friends, I would think.

If religion isn't true, then science will continue to discredit those beliefs which aren't true. I'm not sure why that notion is discomfiting to so many people, honestly. I've always preferred to know the truth, even if it wasn't entirely pleasant, rather than labor under a lie being told to me.

Purpose doesn't come from that which isn't true. An illusion of purpose, perhaps. Distraction from purpose, almost certainly, but true purpose? No.

If there are lies to be found in religion, it's only in mankind's best interests (and religion's, as well) to have said lies scientifically exposed, so they can be cast aside for the interferences and distractions they are, leaving humanity better able to find the truth and purpose of its existence.

To be honest, though, I think science and religion are in ways on about the same thing, but on about different ones. When it comes to the same basic idea, both science and religion are considering the same idea. They're trying to explain the order of creation. However, they try to explain different parts of it.

As I've said before, science is a very good tool for answering five out of the six simple questions:

"Who", "what", "when", "where", and "how".

It, however, has absolutely no talent for answering the last question: "why".

Religion is all about answering why.

Used in conjunction with one another, and left to work on the things they work on best, I think one can only aid the other. Science, for its part, can explain to humanity the who, what, when, where, and how of it. That gives religion a much better context to be able to explain "why".

On the other hand, religion can aid human existence alongside science by allowing people to make the inevitable value judgments they're going to make based on the facts at hand, and find some meaning in them, since science simply leaves it at "just the facts".

So no, I don't think the two are natural enemies to one another. I think in their own way the two of them work well together in helping to complete human thought, should people choose to use them in harmony that way.

The question is, how many people are going to choose to let them work that way, and how many people are going to make them tools of a personal vendetta they have, and twist the intent of either or both to their own destructive ends?

Answer 2

O yes - science is THE enemy of the church, religion.

We have to remember that at one time the Vatican/church postulated that the earth is flat...... and that all else revolves around it. Anybody who said otherwise was a heretic and was lucky to not be burned at the stake.

Science looks at facts and not at fairy tales. In the last century we have found out many new things concerning celestial matters. There is Mars as an example. Newest hi res photos from space probes have found evidence that Mars was once inhabited. One can see numerous artifacts, structures that nature could not have produced on its own. Mars once had an atmosphere and oceans.

It would have been the death blow to the church in the dark ages to admit life exists elsewhere and those beings may not be/have been Christians believing in Christ and being at the same time way more advanced.

I am convinced that among the trillions of Galaxies with uncounted star systems there are innumerable inhabited worlds with races, beings so much more (Millions of years) advanced that we may regard their technology as magic.... where current human technology can be compared to a crude stone ax as to theirs......

These are the dangers to the church. There is so much suppressed for the sake of not rocking the boat. People are deliberately kept in the dark so they don't ask any or too many questions. Knowledge is power. Established power(s) can and will be challenged by updated knowledge...... which is acquired at an accelerated pace. Knowledge also does not stand still - if it would, it would resemble a putrid, stinking pool of water that lacks any influx of fresh water to make, keep it alive.

The church behaves the same way - all is stale, always the same stale diet spoon fed to the gullible flock. .... the church does the thinking and censoring for them - it is so convenient!

I have a friend who knows some important people in Israel. He told me that some years ago they were working on the dead sea scrolls....... The one fellow asked the other what did you find? The reply was - " You don.t want to know, if this leaks out, the church is dead."

I am convinced that time is not far off.

One more thought - there is one religion that is stuck in the mud of the dark ages and that one has contributed practically nothing to the advancement of man re sciences and technologies...... Islam. We can look at the intellectual properties. Of about 3.500.000 international patents filed at the US Patent office in the last 27 years - only about 180 came from Islamic countries. That is a fifth of the population of earth contribiting a lousy 0.05%. Interesting indeed.

Answer 3

No... * T R U T H * IS. ... But Science Reveals Truth.
Some Religion Pwed By Revealed Scientific Truth...
- Galileo ~1610 - Geocentricism - NOT
- Lyell ~1830 - Young Earth- NOT
- Darwin ~1859 - Creation - Life - NOT
- Hubble ~1924 - Expanding Universe - YES
- Gamow ~1948 - Creation - NOT ( Life Big Bang Theory )
- Penzias and Wilson ~1964 CBR - Big Bang ( Confirmed )

“Science not only hasn't found God, it isn't even looking for him.” -- Gary Sloan

“To an honest judge, the alleged convergence between religion and science is a shallow, empty, hollow, spin-doctored sham.” -- Richard Dawkins

“Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition.” -- Adam Smith

“Science is a differential equation. Religion is a boundary condition.” -- Alan Turing

Answer 4

Absolutely not. Science and religion are the two great seekers of truth. True science and true religion can never conflict because truth cannot conflict with truth. Of course, false science could conflict with true religious beliefs; and false religious beliefs could conflict with true scientific findings. Unfortunately the latter happens far more often than the former. The major theories of science are pretty much universally accepted, having been produced by expert analysis of the available evidence, and reviewed by other experts before being propagated. On the other hand, in denominational religion, doctrinal chaos reigns. Thousands of manmade denominations can't even agree with one another on what constitutes the truth, because such beliefs have no authoritative source. They are just someone's personal, unauthoritative guesses about the meanings of various Bible passages. Conflicting beliefs always mean false beliefs because truth cannot conflict with truth. Therefore it is hardly surprising when some of these false beliefs also conflict with facts plainly revealed by overwhelming scientific evidence.

Answer 5

No, just like religion is not an enemy of science. But rabid extremes on both sides are enemies of all humanity. Sticking with your original question, I have no fear or hatred of science. As a theist I believe an intelligent and personal God created all that is. If that's true then the claim should comport with "scientific" reality. In true--that is testable and reproducable tests--scientific reality, there is no contradiction between the Bible and science. God's word comports to reality. We discover HIs truth daily, most just reject it or act as if His truth invalidates Him.

Answer 6

No, I don't believe that they are enemies -- many religions work hand-in-hand with science, especially those who evolve and change with the times.

Answer 7

No, it isn't. Science relies on observations and conclusions. It is the attempt to answer the how's of life. Religion is based on faith, and it is the attempt to answer the why's in life. Two different kinds of questions; two different approaches to answering them.

Answer 8

Science explains HOW things work and religion tells you WHY they happened.

Answer 9

Science complements my Religion. And my Religion is backed up by scientific principles. This does not negate God. I read scientific findings and find Divinity in them. One does not cancel out the other.

Answer 10

No. I view them as different fields with different purposes and goals. People don't have to close their eyes or minds to science in order to have faith. People tend to place their faith on the wrong things, such as insisting the Bible explains natural history, when it clearly doesn't.