Science is religion. And anyone saying “oh no, here we go again” likely views religion as an inflamatory, derogatory swear word, and probably has other issues to contend with. If you want to argue, fine, but you have to accept the basis on which my argument is placed. I set the ground rules.
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What is the purpose of science? To study, evaluate and learn from our environment.
Why do science? To better understand the world and make life better.
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Physics measures things. Science is not all physics. There is no possible way for one person to know everything about science. Even if science could explain absolutely everything, there is no possible way for someone to be able to read, understand and evaluate all the information available. Even if a person could possibly do this, the person would still bring with him/her their own preconceived notions and understandings and would taint the information.
Why would this imaginary person read the things the person does read? Why would this person place more emphasis on one experiment over another? Why did the person conducting the test describe it in the way the person did? Why was the experiment conducted the way it was? Which information was utilized to create the hypothesis and why was that information the information which was chosen? Where did the hypothesis come from? Based on what pre-existing information and understanding? Why did the pre-existing information and understanding make a difference when other information was disregarded? I could go on asking more questions about why this or why that? What determines something and not something else? What are the safeguards in science to ensure that there is absolutely no bias and that it is truly dispassionate? What keeps science dispassionate about science? Science answers many questions, raises many more, and is a question in itself.
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Science, if it is looking to explain the world, our place in it, the mind, our origins and so on, is not just science but it is metaphysics. Science claims pretends to be inerrant and onmiscience – except when it overrides itself and when it admits does not knowing something yet. But it will, oh yes, it will.
Metaphysics is the study of that which lies beyond physics. This is where religion is usually placed. But religion does not belong here.
Let us consider a religious idea. One that I hate, but one that is very useful. “God, the father.” God is not male in teh way we understand male-ness (if we actually understand the concept of gender, I figure no one does). But “male-ness,” as attributed to God, is a metaphor. It is meant to help us understand God.
For argumental purposes I need everyone to please assume that God exists (if you can’t pretend, then get the hell out of here because your mind is too limited). God is not male nor female, but God is called “the Father,” thusly making God a male. This metaphor begins to grow and become more than just a metaphor. It becomes truth. God IS male. Then we build upon this truth, developing other metaphors which may or may not extend and become entities themselves.
That’s ‘pataphysics.
This means that what once was physics is now metaphysics. What once was metaphysics is now ‘pataphysics. And ‘pataphysics is our world and our complete understanding of it. We have replaced all our understanding of the world for things which are not really what they are but what we once understood them to resemble. Now what the world resemebled is what we see the world as.
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We wanted orange juice but we replaced it with dehydrated space juice and now all we want to do is find some powder which tastes like Tang. But the pitcher is dirty and we are out of dish-soap, so we reach for the SunnyD which really is not that great but it will do in a pinch. But that is empty too. So, off to the store I go to get some dish soap and that was when I bumped into my Atheist Book Club (ABC) but I hate going to those meetings because they alway bring kool-aid and they insist that everyone drink up.
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Science is metaphysics. Explaining the world in order to explain the big questions. Science is not about answering how things work but rather to explain how “it all” works.
The only thing keeping science from being one of the big religions is that science does not know how to laugh at itself. It takes itself too seriously. Just like ABC (all caps).
