Why do people who know the least about science seem to worship it the most?

Question

The pure lack of knowledge about science in many of the questions and answers I read in YA! R&S amazes me.

I kind of expect most Christians to not know much about science. I am an engineer so I work with "Science" every day. Most Christians I know do not work with science and I don't expect them to know anything about science. Some surprise me.

People who claim to know something about science and then say things like "When science proves there is no God" or "Evolution is a fact!" it only proves they know nothing about science or the scientific method.

As I have read these uneducated answers and questions it occurs to me that many people seem to worship science while knowing less about science than most Christians know about the Bible.

At least Christians read about what they worship and know something about God.

Why is it that many people who seem to worship science also see to know nothing about science?

I really am interested in opinions on this.

Thanks.

Interesting Concept "Universal Pants", one Einstein would probably not applaud.

It is acceptable to "worship" the quest for knowledge without ever understanding or participating in that quest.

If we accept that we need no knowledge for salvation then we need not study to gain knowledge.

If we believe we have no need for salvation and no need for knowledge then we have no need to study to gain knowledge.

If we believe that we must know God to receive salvation then we must study to gain knowledge about God.

If we believe that "fact" or "knowledge" of is important and yet do not study to gain knowledge then what are we? Ignorant Sheep following the unknown "leader".

Following "science", the "God" in contradiction of the basic ideology of science and the scientific method? To know and understand.

Illogical to say the least.

gilfin: Your point that we are all somewhat ignorant is well spoken. My point is that often people do not understand even the basics of science and yet blindly accept what they are told are facts.

Believe it or not this often occurs in research. One of my peers will state something and then we will research for a period basing the research on that statement and then find out it was incorrect. Happens more often then you would think, smart people often have big egos and can convince people around them of things.

Still, I understand belief after education and developing an understanding better than I understand belief without bothering to educate or develop an understanding.

worship=praise of the belief

Maybe I am not making the concept clear enough for everyone.

"the greatest thinkers of our time are evolutionists, are you smarter then them?"

To study, learn and develop an understanding one must be smarter than everyone else?

If you do not consider yourself equal to others you should blindly follow those you consider superior?

Could that be the real answer?

People with low self esteem will blindly follow those they consider superior without trying to gain knowledge on the subject?

Interesting Concept Charlie, although I doubt if you understood what you said.

Thanks! There are some interesting things to think about here!

Interesting Chantel: You assume that the "creation of a mucus shell around a bacterium whose offspring previously did not have one" constitutes a growth or development and that this simple growth or development constitutes proof of the theory of evolution.

I would say that while an observed growth or development is evidence that a growth or development has occurred under specific conditions it is not evidence for the entire concept of evolution.

Even if you were to prove that an intelligent being could evolve from a simple bacterium it would not prove that any have outside of the specific conditions of the experiment.

I believe that Charlie, and one other, has made the important point that we should believe people who tell us things just because they are considered "superior" in some way by some people.

Rather like listening to the Pope I think. No thought required, just faith in the "superiors".

Answer 1

I find this interesting too. They laugh at us for studying and believing in the Bible, but many seem to believe anything a scientist says. Scientists are to science what prophets are to religion. Some of them are guided by God whether they believe it or not, and some are clearly false prophets.

Answer 2

I do not "worship" science, and I will be the first to admit that I am scientifically illiterate.

However, I think the scientfic method of finding information, while not perfect, is a better method than reading an ancient book written 2000 years ago, and saying "God did it" !

If my car broke down, I would take it to a car mechanic instead of a faith healer.

If I want to know HOW the world works, I will look for answers in the scientific community, not an ancient sacred text.

If I want to know the MEANING of life, I would go to spiritual or philosophical sources.

I would not worship, or blindly believe the mechanic, the scientist or the philospher or worship them, I would still apply my critical reasoning skills, and perhaps seek out second or even third opinions.

Answer 3

Because people are lazy thinkers. There are many questions unanswered by science. Indeed, the scientific method by design generates more questions than it resolves.

For example, where does consciousness reside? Some scientists hypothesize that it is hidden somewhere inside quantum energy states, but how can science study that given the limitations of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle?

Another example is that given the second law of thermodynamics, where did the energy to create initial structure of the universe come from? Some external energy source was required to overcome the entropic nature of the universe prior to the Big Bang. Where did it come from?

I believe that there are lazy thinkers who blindly follow religion and science. The same lack of dilligence explains both those who claim that science proves there is no God and those who refuse to acknowledge natural processes such as evolution.

I'm confident that, eventually, free thinkers will approach a universal theory of science and religion.

Answer 4

I think what they are worshiping is not so much science as it is 'something that appears to refute the existence of a deity.'

I expect most Christians to know a decent amount of science simply by virtue of having received an education. (But maybe that's naive of me.) Same goes for atheists.

I'm curious--Why do you appear to dispute the idea that evolution is a fact, when we can observe cellular evolution every day in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria? Does not evolution mean a change in the basic structure of an organism? Wouldn't the creation of a mucus shell around a bacterium whose offspring previously did not have one constitute that?

Is it simply because evolution is defined as a theory and is therefore not considered fact?

Answer 5

It always seems to me that everybody has an inate desire to believe in something. Christians believe in Jesus, even if they don't know if he's real or not. Some hang their belief in science. Mostly though, i think it's the fear of the unknown that drives people either way. I'm not an expert in anything, but I know that I believe in God and creationism, and I also believe that science explains a lot that I don't know. And then there are times that science seems to support my belief in the creation theory, and sometimes science creates doubt. So there... proof of my ignorance... hope it helps.

Answer 6

Thank you very much. when it is mentioned that Nietzsche zealously claimed that God was dead how did he prove it. He had to of witnessed it, attended the funeral and was personally notified. Certain criteria have to be considered in the Scientific Methods of real science. Just because someone has a theory does not make it correct or evaluated using Scientific methodology.

Answer 7

I don't know anybody who "worships" science. I don't think you do either. Many people don't know everything about science. But do trust it and believe it, and maybe even try to understand it. As to worship, maybe you need to rethink the definition. I do not think that saying "god did it" is an answer. But it also doesn't mean I know the answer.

Answer 8

Your observation is correct. In my case, I only know one basic tenet of scientific inquiry which is not to assume any belief to be final, even if it has been declared so by a recognized forum of experts. I am a Christian by my own convictions, by my own spiritual experiences, even if others say otherwise. I'm here to learn, but in the process would like to join in the fun. Glad to have people like you around.

Answer 9

people base thier knowleage on what they think they know or what they have been taught rather then what they have observed and or faced for themselves...........My knowledge of God thou taught of Him came to be when i myself came to KNowing of Him through my own life and experiences...for what i thought i knew i knew nothing and what i thought i didnt know..i came to learn.........So it is with science it is the ability to learn of things one doesnt know..........tho many put faith in science as a back drop to thier believe...i say one must believe in order to learn what science is !......And God is the Creator of all things and gives knowledge unto man to see for himself the Greatness that God has created thus proving to ourselfs that with out the Creator........nothing was made !!
So if science was a pure fact and knowledge thereby was Supreme...then by it would we have already known that thier must be a Creator of it ? How little progress as man made in his nieve attempts to understand the complex yet simple facts of all knowing and all seeing God...who by the simplist manner and facts..........Shows us how small we are....and yet How Great He is !!

Answer 10

Since I wasted my time reading your post, I thought I might as well respond. I have never claimed to be very knowledgeable in science and I surely don’t ‘worship’ it. That is an area of knowledge that has many branches and all of them are limitless in scope. Religion, on the other hand, seems like a very shallow subject. The stories found in the Bible are vague and unclear to the point where Christians can’t even seem to ever agree on their interpretation. I don't find myself fighting off confusion as much as utter disbelief in the fact that in the year 2007 most people are content to accept childish stories that were ‘made up’ thousands of years ago in a vain attempt to explain the unexplainable before science came up with logical explanations. Science does try to do the same thing and in many cases has explained things that were previously unexplainable, at least to my satisfaction and without all of the ‘believe or else’ nonsense. It is my understanding that science requires and desires a good healthy dose of skepticism and welcomes alternate theories. Religions subject the individual to a ludicrous threat; buy it or burn. And, their stories and claims truly are preposterous and comical. I don’t worship science either; I respect it. I don’t believe everything I read, but at least I’m being told by the people who do possess the knowledge and write about what they have discovered that there is still much to be learned and so on. Scientists seem to be humble in there knowledge, while religious people possess an arrogance that is derisory, insulting, and just plain pitiful. I am not impressed in your status as an engineer either. While I have had the fortune of working with some very intelligent and knowledgeable engineers, I have also been exposed to some of the stupidest engineers on the planet. Are you at least a professional engineer? In what field of knowledge that makes you feel you are on the same level as a scientist or physicist? Even the most intelligent engineers I have been exposed to would not even make the arrogant assertion to be on the same level as these people. You write, “As I have read these uneducated answers and questions it occurs to me that many people seem to worship science while knowing less about science than most Christians know about the Bible.” This makes you sound very supercilious in my opinion. From the responses I’ve read, it would appear that most of the Atheists know more about the bible than the Christians, so your follow-up statement, “At least Christians read about what they worship and know something about God.” is more nonsense. No one ‘knows’ about god; they may claim to, but all they can do is ‘believe’ and there is a huge difference between the two. People who have studied the Bible with an open mind do have a clearer understanding of its content because they read it without trying to use it as a means to substantiate their religion. People who read it with the intent to use it as a means to understanding a ludicrous religion can twist the words into just about any thought or idea that suits their need. In closing I would just say that I don’t worship anything or anyone. Science puts forth rational ideas based on years of intense research while religion tries to defend irrational ideas based on years old, made up stories that any ten year old child of moderate intelligence could see through. Science welcomes challenges, while religion threatens all challengers.

Answer 11

Getting my Ph.D in biology (have a bachelor's and a master's) and absolutely passionate about the subject, I can say with confidence that evolution has been proven to the maximum extent that anything can be proven. It is as certain as every other thing we consider to be a "fact".