Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1910-07-11
SCIENCE AND RELIGION
DO NOT GO TOGETHER
Half Baked Science and Religious
Intolerance Evils Alike.

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There are unfortunately a great
many well meaning people who, pro-
foundly religious, yet succeed in do
ing their cause much harm through
the association with it Of utterly ex-
traneous matter. For instance, evo-
luton has no more to do with relig-
ION than 1t has with morality. Yet
every now and again some zealot
will denounce any one who processes
to believe the theory of evolution as
an atheist and a lost soul. But
the Great Exemplar summed up NOR
ality In the two commandments to
love God and to love ones neighbor
as ones self. The latter command
ment Is common to most religions.
1t Is the Golden Rule. The majority
OF Christendom subscribes to a creed
In which certain assertions as to the
relations between God and man are
made. and which creed has remained
practically the same for many ages.
In that creed. however, there is moth
ing as to scientific beliefs. In fact,
1t lies without science since 1t makes
assertion as to the nature of things
which cannot be proven or disproven
of science.
Religious people in all ages have
constructed for themselves beliefs
about natural phenomena which they
have dovetailed into and COMPOUNDED
with their religious convictions. Such
as, for example. the belief that the
sun goes round the earth, that Adam
was created 4,0O4 years before the
birth of Christ, that the earth was
made in 144 hours out of nothing,
that women should use a particular
kind Of hair oil. that knowledge of
the secrets of nature is personal ac-
quaintance with Satan, or that Gig
arctic smokers are predestined to
damnation. None of these things is
to be found in the summary of the
law and the prophets already given,
or In the creed which is the official
political platform of the church.
Presently some of these patches
on the cloak of religion are torn of
and the garment itself Is woefully
rent. The patch makers are doing
a great dlsservice to their habili-
ments.
On the other hand there are many
things said and done In the name Of
science which the true scientist will
promptly repudiate. Science is
merely an accurate knowledge of the
various phenomena which present
themselves in nature. Usually q
full knowledge OF such phenomena
will furnish an explanation thereof
But usually no such full knowledge
can be obtained and hence any sclen-
tiic theory is liable to be upset as
greater knowledge is gradually OBJ
talned. For a theory to be sound
must explain all the facts. II It will
explain one only, It is open to doubt,
and II there are two or three which
It will not explain the chances are
greatly against the verify OF that
theory.
But there are a great many phe-
nomena which are subjective rather
than objective: they can be felt but
they cannot be seen. OF such phe-
nomena there can be no explanation
which can be scientifically demon
strated to be true. True science
leaves such phenomena out OF the
field. classes them as belonging to the
''unknowable" and goes on its way
without dogmatizing. Pseudo SCI
sntists do often thus dogmatize and
their dogmatisms are worth Just as
much and no more than the dogma
tism OF theology. which, after all.
was merely based when promulgated
on the scientific knowledge, such as
II was, Of the day when It crystalliz-
ed into a belief. And Of the "scien-
tihcs knowledge OF today the time
will come when II in turn shall be
spoken OF a. the scientific knowledge
such as II was" OF the early TWEEN
tieth century.
In the meantime II were well to
have a little tolerance for the be-
liefs of others. Half baked science
or intOlerant and superrogatory the
ology make no converts worth the
having. but on the contrary bring
both science and religion into dis
repute.-Inland Herald.
TodRy's news today II you read the