Why Faith should not replace Science
Science has taken a lot of abuse over the past decade or so. A lot of ‘faith based’ organizations have been working overtime to discredit the scientific community. And this is something we should all be far more disturbed by than we are.
What is science? Let’s visit Dictionary.com for that:
sci·ence
noun
1. a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.
2. systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.
3. any of the branches of natural or physical science.
4. systematized knowledge in general.
5. knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.
Science is about study and learning, looking at aspects of the world around us, and working out understanding. Science is about finding facts, and expanding our knowledge of the universe.
Science comes in many branches, and covers a wide range of items, some physical, some far less so, some broadly speculative. But science is about applying logic and reason to learning…which is, in most ways, the complete opposite of faith.
Once more, from dictionary.com:
faith
noun
1. confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another’s ability.
2. belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3. belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4. belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5. a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
Belief vs. proof. Systematic study versus belief not based in provable fact. And while, arguably, both science and faith require degrees of trust…they are still very different concepts.
Now I am not attacking faith here. I have my own faith (which, I just want to point out, is a personal matter for me and me alone), so this is not an anti-faith thing. What this is, though, is pointing out an issue where some people allow their faith to overwhelm their willingness to study and learn.
This battle has been ongoing pretty much since we humans learned to walk upright, and learn to think about more than just survival. But both science and faith serve the same purpose – both seek to answer very difficult to answer questions. Both seek to understand complex ideas.
We once believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system, and was flat. Science taught us that these are incorrect. We used to believe in ‘humors’, now we have a much better understanding of our internal organs and psychology. We used to believe eclipses were omens of the gods of some sort, now we know them to be a natural progression of the bodies in space.
One place where faith and science are still often confused is with regards to the concept of scientific theories. Once again, let’s visit Dictionary.com:
the·o·ry
noun
1. a coherent group of tested general propositions, commonly regarded as correct, that can be used as principles of explanation and prediction for a class of phenomena: Einstein’s theory of relativity. Synonyms: principle, law, doctrine.
2. a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. Synonyms: idea, notion hypothesis, postulate. Antonyms: practice, verification, corroboration, substantiation.
As such, a theory is a concept based on study and knowledge, where faith is about gut feeling, and not testing and experimenting and studying. Again, it is all well and good to have faith…but this should not be at the expense of science.
“Intelligent Design” is a thinly veiled scientific sounding name for creationism. Creationism is based on faith – the ‘intelligent designer’ or God or what-have-you created the universe and all that is in it. Evolution is based on theory, from scientific study. Yes, there are holes in the theory, no one denies that – but it is far more solid and provable than creationism. The former is belief based on a text that has zero proof to back it, versus the latter which has decades of study, refinement, and learning behind it.
Schools teach science. Evolution is a concept of science, Intelligent Design is a concept of faith. Very different, almost opposite ideas.
The backlash against science and reason happening today does not get enough attention. We need to look more closely at this, and work to keep these ideas separate. There is a place for faith, but not at the expense of science.
There are all kinds of historical cases of faith versus science all over the world. Whether we’re looking back at the trial of Galileo, the Scopes Monkey trial that served to bring the science of evolution to our schools in the 1920’s, extremists pushing Islamic law over scientifically reasoned ideas, or current arguments for teaching intelligent design in schools – the struggle between these concepts never seems to end.
Faith has been the cause of wars and conflict – science, because it is not about conjecture and speculation, has not. Before we allow faith to overwhelm science, or replace it in our schools, we need to accept how it is different, and its place as such.
Science taught us that keeping the dead with the water supply made us sick. Science taught us that not properly preparing our food could make us sick and kill us. Science taught us the orbit of the moon effects our tides. Science has advanced our knowledge of this world, its inhabitants, and the universe in which it exists.
Science comes of the ability to think critically. We can evaluate the world around us, consider truth and lies, and learn and grow constantly. There is currently a push to lessen this ability. There are faith-based forces that want less attention on science and critical thought, and more focus on faith.
I think one reason for this is because science, in its inherent focus on study and fact-finding, can disprove matters of faith. Science shows us that the world is considerably older than the age the Bible and related texts put it at. Science shows us that odds are we are not alone in the universe. For those rooted in faith, that idea alone might be terrifying, and stands against their beliefs.
Once again, I am not against faith – faith has its place. But faith should not take the place of science – it is a separate tenet, and should be treated, and even respected, as such.
While science strives to explain pretty much everything, I think there are things it will never be able to provide us with factual knowledge of. There are, and always will be mysteries that cannot be logically explained. And that is not a bad thing, because it gives us more ways to grow and learn.
But science has brought us the world we live in today. Science brought us technologies that have connected one end of the world to the next, allows instant communications across the globe, provides medicine for the sick and to keep us well, and furthers our ability to think critically. Yes, sometimes science goes too far (nuclear weapons and genetically modified crops, for example), but overall we live better lives due to science. And our ability to reason and understand can be attributed to this in many respects, too.
Faith and science should not be confused, nor mixed. We need to remember how important science is to our lives, but not deny faith and its place – nor vice versa.
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