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Those who argue in this way will insist that they are committed to science and to the scientific method. Yet this is rarely the case. Their hypocrisy can be exposed by asking the following simple question: What scientific (or rational) evidence would you accept as invalidating your religion?

Egyptologist Gerald Massey once said: "They must find it difficult, those who have accepted authority as truth, rather than the truth as authority." This is particularly true regarding religion, for the religionist and the scientist operate from very different perspectives. The scientist relies on what is known as the scientific method. This method is the only legitimate method of acquiring knowledge, for the simple reason that it has a built-in method of self-correction. In other words, any given scientific theory is only as good as the evidence that supports it. Scientists do not operate from pre-conceived ideas.

In the scientific method, scientists observe a certain phenomenon and asks what is the underlying truth of that phenomenon; what is it that we are looking at and what makes it act the way it does. After considering a number of possible ideas, they come up with a hypothesis, which they feel to be the best explanation of the phenomenon in question. The hypothesis, in order to be considered valid, must pass certain experimental testing. The testing must be repeatable. If the testing does indeed validate the hypothesis, the hypothesis becomes known as a theory. A theory is not, as many creationists and other anti-scientists maintain, a mere blind guess; it is the end result of rigorous scrutiny and examination. If the theory cannot be invalidated, it is accepted, but it is never hardened into absolute dogma; all scientific theories are subject to revision, alteration, and rejection as new evidence and experimentation demands.

This method is the exact opposite of the methods of religion. Religious beliefs are completely subjective in nature; believers "prove" the existence of god or of their faith not by critical examination and the scientific method, but rather by faith. Faith, despite the praised heaped upon it by the religious, is nothing more than the acceptance of an idea without objective evidence or proof; in effect, believers convince themselves that what they want to believe is true. Convinced of this, they seek to place their belief on an intellectual foundation by seeking out certain "proofs" that justify their pre-conceived conclusion.

This is the exact opposite of the scientific method. Making a leap of faith and then refusing to consider ideas that invalidate it (which unfortunately is the method of most religionists trying to rationalize their faith) illustrates a hostility towards not only science, but to the reasoning process in general. For those who accept the absolutist claims of their religion, truth is defined not in terms of what corresponds to reality, but in terms of what corresponds to their faith. It has often been pointed out by atheists that in science, when the facts disprove the theory, the theory is discarded, while in religion, if the facts disprove the theory, the facts are discarded. This point illustrates that, for all too many religious people, they are committed to their religion, and not to the truth.

Since no religion is founded on objectively verifiable facts, there are naturally no objective proofs to validate them. While many modern religious apologists insist that all religions point to the same "truths", this is not borne out by the facts. Indeed, if this were so, the history of religion would not be as bloody as it has been.

There are psychological factors to consider too. Since religions cannot be objectively proved, the only way for believers of two different faiths to resolve their differences is by violence. Hatred of reason is of paramount importance here. Any examination of the historical writings of various religious leaders conclusively illustrates this point. Since time immemorial, these men (for it was usually men who were the leaders of these religions) displayed at best a grudging tolerance toward human reason, and (more often) at worst abject hatred for it. Martin Luther was only voicing the views of a long line of religious leaders when he stated that, in order to be a true believer, one must "tear they eyes out of" his reason. However, we are reasoning animals. It is in our nature to think, to examine, and to question. Therefore, in order to ensure the survival of an idea that is not based on reason, the quest for knowledge, at least in the area of religious belief, must be replaced by a quest to support and justify ones faith.

To those of this mindset, science is useful only insofar as it seems to prove their faith. Creationism is a particularly interesting phenomenon. Since the time of Charles Darwins theory of evolution, many religionists have spared no expense in attacking his theory. This is despite the fact that evolutionary theory is the cornerstone of modern biology and that nothing makes sense except in view of it.

Creationists often insist that their views are scientific. Yet their absolutist religious views are manifested in similar absolutist views about creationism and evolution. Never will they consider the possibility that evolution might be true. Never will they try to refute the rationalizations they come up with as defenses against evolution. This illustrates once again the psychological makeup that motivates people of this mindset.

Many believers argue that, because the findings of science are always subject to revision, religion is a superior method of knowing, since it provides one with "absolute" truth. This is easily refuted. If any one religion is true, it logically follows that all the others are false, since they make different claims about reality. Therefore, no one can claim to possess "absolute" truth.

Moreover, an error made by faulty reasoning can be corrected, but an error made blind faith not only cannot be corrected, it cannot even be admitted.

In summary, religious faith destroys our ability to distinguish truth from falsehood and, as a consequence, good from evil. It should therefore come as no surprise that so many evils have come from religion.

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