Comparing Science vs Religion

• How do most people perceive the relationship between science and religion?

  As fundamentally different or polar opposites
• What is generally understood about science in sociological discourse?

  It is value-free, objective, and rigorous
• What is the basis of scientific knowledge?

  Empirical evidence and facts tested by experiments
• What are the key differences between science and religion?

  Science:

  • Open belief system
  • Subject to falsification and testing
  • Independent of state/government

  
  

  Religion:

  • Closed belief system
  • Accepted on blind faith
  • Often closely linked to the state
• What does Thomas Kuhn suggest about science?

  It operates within a paradigm of assumptions
• What happens when new scientific theories do not fit existing paradigms?

  They are not accepted without sufficient evidence
• How are researchers engaging in "radical science" treated?

  They are often rejected from the scientific community
• What must new scientific discoveries fit into?

  A paradigm that accepts existing theories
• How does the rejection of new theories in science compare to religion?

  It is similar to religious institutions rejecting heresy
• What changes have some religious organizations made over time?

  They have changed positions on certain issues
• Why is science not necessarily as objective as claimed?

  It is dependent on funding from various sources
• How can corporate funding influence scientific research?

  It may lead to outcomes favoring products
• What is the current relationship between religion and government in western democracies?

  Religion is less linked to government than before
• How does the role of government scientists differ from religious institutions?

  Government scientists often push scientific advice
• How is the independence of religion portrayed compared to science?

  Religion is often more independent than suggested