When Science clashes with belief

When Science clashes with belief

Sometimes science is based on belief rather than observation

The problem with this recent story about the supposed differences between typical kiwi beliefs and ‘science’ is that it starts with the assumption that academia has answered all of the big questions and that all that remains is to educate the ignorant masses in the error of their ways.

That premise is demonstrably wrong. I’m no tin-hat wearing conspiracist – but as I get older I realise that many of the things I believed to be true in earlier years were/are simply wrong. And I’m not just talking about trivial irrelevances – but about some of the things on which the very foundation of our education and social systems are based.

There’s nothing new in this, of course – the entire process of social change and advancement is built on the premise that new orthodoxy must replace prevailing orthodoxy, and that the ‘High Priests’ of any system must, eventually, give way to new ideas and challenges. That’s a good thing – provided there is plenty of oxygen for debate on both sides of any issue – but we must always be on our guard against those who seek to constrain discussion to only those views which support their particular view of the world…..

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COMMENTS

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    Paul Burns 4 years

    The pre-suppositions that science bases it’s very own faithful beliefs – is a foundation that is 100% reconcilable with the God of The Bible. I.e the philosophy of science faithfully assumes that physical world (universe) is not only ordered, but that it also obeys laws. It also presumes that we’ve a rational mind – in order to make sense of scientific experiments. If such phenomena are not best predicated on a prior eternal and all-knowing mind (e.g the very same attributes ascribed to The Christian God), then I’d like to know a better epistemology

  • comment-avatar
    Ian Wright 4 years

    Ashley,
    I would be very skeptical about blindly believing what scientists, especially those study the earth’s natural functioning systems say. The standard joke with geologists is that you will never get two of them to agree on the same thing.

    I would therefore recommend anyone who is faced with a scientist telling them something to do a bit of their own research before blindly accepting it as the gospel,

    Cheers
    Ian

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