In support of science as truth

It seems odd to me, how some people are happy to accept the findings of science when it comes to modern medicine, or air travel, or their smart phone, but deny the findings of science when it comes to evolution or climate change.

Science has nothing to do with what we would like to be true — only what actually is true. And truth, in science, is determined objectively, by trial and observation, and by repeated experimentation to confirm initial findings. It’s a rigorous discipline, subject to constant critique from fellow scientists.

Some people think there’s a contradiction between science and religious faith. I think that’s true only if they invade each other’s turf. Science is about the physical world — stuff that can be measured. Religion is about the spiritual realm — and it can’t be measured. Science can’t tell us much about morality — how we ought to behave. But religion can’t tell us much about whether the sun or the earth is at the center of the solar system — the Catholic Church v. Galileo to the contrary.

Those who try to deny scientific fact because it doesn’t fit with their religious – or political – belief system are, I fear, repeating the error made by the Catholic Church several hundred years ago. The difference is that what’s at the center of the solar system has no life-threatening consequences. Whether human activity is causing climate change could have catastrophic consequences for our children.

This story was originally published April 27, 2017 at 5:52 PM with the headline "In support of science as truth."