Science vs. Religion

Touchy topic I know, but here’s my opinion from the almost neutral position of not believing in either.

A few months ago I read a book on Quantum physics and the universe. It was a really good book, giving an overview of all the major parts of current physics and an explanation of how they all work and what they mean. The book gave me a general understanding of the ideas of people like Einstein and Newton, but what I really took away from the book is an edgy sort of feeling that these guys don’t actually have a clue as to what’s really going on.

Anyway in relation to religion which is my main point for this post there are a few things I have realised about science I’d like to highlight. First off, almost everyone out there except our “brightest minds” knows almost nothing about the cutting edge of science. We all know a bit of the old stuff, and have a grasp on some of the new stuff but in reality when it comes to the latest ideas we don’t have a clue. We simply read about the latest advances, accepting what we are told by scientists for no real reason other than they are telling us.

We personally have no way to verify their results. We do not understand the inner workings. So what we are doing is accepting it all on faith. There comes the magic word, faith. Now that’s starting to sound a little more like religion isn’t it?

Now it’s not quite the blind faith of religion. Believing in that which cannot be proved or disproved, having faith in a greater power. It is similar though.

Now to my next point. Science has always been an evolutionary process. It builds on previous ideas, correcting or replacing them when proven wrong or adding to them over time. Newton developed the idea of gravity. It was accepted and built upon, piece by piece, until hundreds of years later Einstein comes along and proves it all wrong, replacing it with his own theory. So what happens to everything everyone has done for a hundred years. Einstein’s just proved them all wrong. But eventually someone will come along and replace his theory and the cycle will continue. Apart from the fact that this begs the question as to when science will actually ever be right if they keep proving themselves wrong it reminds me of religion as well.

Religion has a remarkably similar way of adapting and building on itself although it can be much more subtle. I once saw a documentary on Islam and how it was founded by Muhammad. Now it was a while ago so please don’t hold it against me if I’m fuzzy on the details.

Basically Islam was founded on the basis of Christianity and Judaism but was adapted because they felt they all got it horribly wrong. Just like one theory replacing another in science. But it does not end there. Muhammad with his lovely new ideology proceeded to adapt it over time to meet what was needed. At first it preached peace and forgiveness, but as threats loomed bits were added to the Koran about war and defending your people.

Science also builds on its ideas as new bits are needed. We have been building on Einstein’s theories for 70 years, just like we were building on Newton’s for hundreds of years before that.
It doesn’t matter whether its science or religion. We all accept either with some degree of faith. They way they build on their ideas bears remarkable similarity. A theory is formed and built on piece by piece until it’s no longer adequate. Then we form a completely new idea a start the whole process again.

In my opinion science and religion are fundamentally the same thing. They are attempts to make sense of the world around us. We keep building on their ideas to try and build ourselves a better picture. The only difference for me is the direction they approach this problem. Science attacks it from what it already knows. It builds on its knowledge slowly adding and reshaping ideas. Science starts from the unknown position of God and builds the world around Him, but they meet somewhere in the middle.

Personally I put little faith in either. I admit I believe in what science has done. I’m not going to sit here and argue that all science is wrong and could never possibly have come up with the ideas needed to make this computer I’m typing on. I also believe in God. Not a Christian God or anything but something. I don’t use either one to make sense of anything though. The world is because it is. It works because it does. I am because I am.