https://www.ftsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/May-June-2024-Ezine.pdf
Some God believers say they don’t believe in science even though they frequently use science, for instance, when they engage in technology or rely on antibiotics. I can’t say I “believe” in science because science is based on evidence, not belief. Scientists try to disprove their own theories or the theories of others before they submit their findings to peer-reviewed journals. Eventually, there is a consensus among scientists, which might change with new scientific evidence. There are no peer reviews for gods because there are no gods to do the reviewing, and no actual “theories” of gods to review. Many theists believe that science does more harm than good. They see conflicts with forms of science that disavow “God’s role” in the world, and the value and “sacredness” of humanity, including our special human nature. Religion also differs from science in coming to conclusions based on faith, not evidence. Is science or religion a better tool to understand the world? Science and religion disagree about the origin of the Earth and humans. Unfortunately, to the extent that some religious people view science as invalid, irrelevant, or morally suspect, they will be less interested in learning science, both formally and informally. You don’t have to be an atheist to support science, but it helps.
While science has had success after success understanding the universe, the “method” of using faith has led to no proofs of the divine. How many gods are there? What are their natures and moral creeds? Is there an afterlife? Why is there moral and physical evil? For theists, there is no one answer to any of these questions. All is a mystery. Religion relies on dogma, scripture, and authority that requires faith as expressed in Hebrews 11. Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In science, faith without evidence is a vice, while in religion it’s a virtue.
Some God believers say they don’t believe in science even though they frequently use science, for instance, when they engage in technology or rely on antibiotics. I can’t say I “believe” in science because science is based on evidence, not belief. Scientists try to disprove their own theories or the theories of others before they submit their findings to peer-reviewed journals. Eventually, there is a consensus among scientists, which might change with new scientific evidence. There are no peer reviews for gods because there are no gods to do the reviewing, and no actual “theories” of gods to review. Many theists believe that science does more harm than good. They see conflicts with forms of science that disavow “God’s role” in the world, and the value and “sacredness” of humanity, including our special human nature. Religion also differs from science in coming to conclusions based on faith, not evidence. Is science or religion a better tool to understand the world? Science and religion disagree about the origin of the Earth and humans. Unfortunately, to the extent that some religious people view science as invalid, irrelevant, or morally suspect, they will be less interested in learning science, both formally and informally. You don’t have to be an atheist to support science, but it helps.
While science has had success after success understanding the universe, the “method” of using faith has led to no proofs of the divine. How many gods are there? What are their natures and moral creeds? Is there an afterlife? Why is there moral and physical evil? For theists, there is no one answer to any of these questions. All is a mystery. Religion relies on dogma, scripture, and authority that requires faith as expressed in Hebrews 11. Faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In science, faith without evidence is a vice, while in religion it’s a virtue.