Science as a Religion

It would appear to me that science is a religion. If you look at the scientific theories of modern physicists like Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein, you will notice a striking truth about how these theories are accepted by society. This truth being, that while these theories have been scientifically vetted and are considered truth, they still remain a theory in principle. Arguing against the Theory of Gravity, for example, would subject a person to the same kinds of scrutiny in the scientific community as arguing against the Doctrine of Christian Salvation would subject a person to in the Christian community. I am not implying at all that scrutiny in and of itself is a bad thing, however keep in mind that the word “scrutiny” comes from the Latin word, “scrutari,” which means to “sort trash,” which implies to me, that the very nature of scrutiny is to find something negative and not positive. Now any rational person might argue, that scientific theory is rooted in human observation that has been conceptualized, rationalized, and contextualized through academic means, and is also available to all people through scientific documents. This same person might argue that it would be foolish to question these theories, because after all, all a person has is their ability to perceive, and how can you question theories that the scientific community has perceived, and that the general population of Earth has concurred with? My answer to this argument would be that while generally accepted scientific theories are safe and useful as something that a person can rely upon to make sense of the world around them, these same generally accepted scientific theories do not give concrete insights into the nature of the mind of the people that form these theories. There is still much about the human mind that science has to answer, and I for one am enthusiastic for and eagerly awaiting these answers. In my view, in order to believe in scientific theories as a way to understand the material universe, you have to also believe that natural scientific processes are set in their workings, and that they will not necessarily change over time. Although most people will never know the technical particulars of why the Earth rotates around the Sun, people will accept that it is the Sun’s gravitational pull that causes Earth to rotate around it; this being because every living person to ever grace the face of the Earth has experienced gravity in some capacity during their lifetime. Furthermore, if a person hears Sir Issac Newton’s theory of gravity, and experiences its validity, then through faith, they will believe other more mysterious scientific theories such as the theory of evolution, which has circumstantial evidence at best to its credit, or the big bang theory, which no one was alive to witness. This faith mechanism can also be applied to spiritual and religious concepts. A person can read holy texts, which for all intents and purposes are guidelines to the supernatural, and by following their precepts, can in faith, test their validity. For example, if a person reads from the book of Proverbs, chapter 13:4, which reads, “The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.” This verse means that lazy people want things, but hard workers obtain things. If a person reads this verse and sees the validity and provability of these scriptures in their daily life, then that person will have faith in other more mysterious concepts of the Holy Bible such as in the book of Acts, chapter 2:38 which reads, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” In addition to my assertions on science as a religion, I also assert that the major scientists in the history of mankind are held in the same regard in men’s minds as the major prophets and apostles in the Holy Bible. Scientists like Galileo Galilei, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein, are in many respects “apostles” of scientific reasoning in the same way that the apostles, Peter, James and John are in many respects the “doctors” of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When people want to know more about science, they will reference the work of noted doctors and scientists, and when they want to know more about the Bible, they reference the work of prophets and apostles. Both scientists and apostles are seen as authorities in their areas of expertise, and are generally relied upon for accurate information on matters relating to their areas of expertise. In summary, Science has become the “default” religion to people who have not accepted religious assertions as accurate in describing the nature of the material universe. In my opinion, the reason for this is because while many scientific theories require a measure of faith in the theories from people, these theories are rooted in observation and little faith, while religion is rooted in observation and audacious faith. Furthermore, observation and little faith while forming opinions on the material universe, is more universally appealing to people and is more universally relatable to people than forming these same opinions using religious concepts that require observation and audacious faith.