Confusing Science and Faith

One sure way to destroy the separation of church and state is to treat science as a “faith.” I caught a Boston Globe columnist making this mistake and today (April 6, 2013) the Globe published my response (page A8):

Don’t confuse science with faith

KEVIN LEWIS (“Uncommon Knowledge,” Ideas, March 31 [Boston Globe]) seems to misunderstand science when he asks, “Could a faith in science similarly guide your values?” The question assumes that faith underlies science in the same way that it underlies religion.

The difference between science, properly understood, and faith is that science looks to experience to challenge and modify its own concepts, whereas faith is adherence to given ideas regardless of experience.

John L. Hodge

Jamaica Plain

As I’ve argued before, the survival and growth of democracy depend on getting religion out of politics. Politics needs to be based on facts (whether certain or probable), reasoned arguments and agreements. Science belongs in politics; faith does not.

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Links to the author's related posts and writings:

• Fight Against Religion's Continuing Intrusion Into Politics

• Get Religion out of Politics: Part I
• Get Religion out of Politics: Part II
• What's God Got To Do With It?
• Towards—Or Away From—American Theocracy?
• Dialogues on God: Three Views
• An explanation of why the values of democracy require separation of religion from government is contained in Chapter 4 of How We Are Our Enemy—And How to Stop.
• A thorough analysis of President George W. Bush’s belligerent views connecting God to the United States is contained in Chapter 3 of How We Are Our Enemy—And How to Stop.