There’s a new kind of mindset out there, one that believes technology and science will be the saviors of humanity. These folks give genetically modified food as a solution to world hunger, nuclear power as a solution to the world’s energy needs, and the internet as protector of freedom.

Only this blind trust in technology and science is as dangerous as religious fundamentalism. Bear with me.

You see, the kinds of people who believe “science is the solution” have been raised by schools and excelled within their environs. They’re usually of above average intelligence and have a high level of specialization in their chosen field. And that’s the beginning of the problem.

Because science has become so specialized that no one person can grasp the entirety of even one branch. The human race is learning at a faster rate than it has ever in history. There isn’t enough time to assimilate everything, and get the big picture view.

People who study genetic engineering usually have no background in agriculture. People who study agriculture usually have very little background in biology. And people who study biology miss a lot of ecology. And yet all of these areas of study to understand the impact of releasing genetically modified organisms into the world. So genetic engineering (as a field) progresses onwards, without understanding it’s own effects clearly.

So genetic modification is new and sexy (to scientists), it’s so complicated and technical and such a radical new field. But they don’t realise the implications for the biosphere and the real dangers of releasing supermutants into the wild. And then we have lots of money behind the scientists to produce something. So they come up with a corn plant that produces it’s own toxins to kill bugs that try to eat it. Then they rush to release it and make a profit. Then we find out that humans can’t digest the frankenfood correctly and people get stomach cancer. Woops, we just didn’t get enough testing done.

Even more worrying then specialization in science is its lack of a moral foundation.

There’s no whole, underlying purpose to science, other than the pursuit knowledge. Most people would say the betterment of humanity too, but that isn’t really science’s fundamental purpose. It is the pursuit of knowledge, at any expense, no holds barred. Great scientists realize the need to temper scientific pursuit with gut instinct and a holistic view (Einstein, Buckminster), but the majority blindly pursue the next big discovery. Along the way thousands of animals are treated like tools in the pursuit of the highest calling - making more facts.

So why is science so afraid of religion?

Because it supposedly stifles the freedom of thought and questioning. But does it really, or does it impart universal truths? Take the Christian idea of heaven and hell, for example.

On the surface level, you either are a Christian or you are not. You believe and you go to heaven, you don’t and you go to hell. But look past that. Could heaven and hell be metaphors for existence on this earth? Ah! Act righteously (follow the Christian ethic), and the world becomes heaven. Don’t follow it (act selfishly, break commandments), and your life becomes hell.

These themes are present in every religion, and they help provide unity to the totality of existence. Don’t be afraid of religion, see its worth and then move on.

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