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Differences between Religion and Science

Religion and science are the two crucial elements of human life. They don’t refer to the same thing and are different from one another in several ways. This article intends to talk about this difference and help you understand it better.

Religion:

The word ‘religion’ was derived from the Latin word ‘religionem’ which refers to respect for what is holy, reverence for the Gods and sense of right. It is characterized by belief in an entity that is superior to a human in order to make people understand and make them pursue those that are morally right.

Science:

The word ‘science’ comes from the Latin word ‘scientia’ which means knowledge or expertise. It is the knowledge of the world that we live in. This knowledge is derived from rigorous research. Science refers to the unbiased, rigorous and value-free study of society. It takes aid from facts and proofs and is tested so as to make sure it’s foolproof.

Differences between religion and science:

  • Science is objective. It is derived from facts and logic. But religion is subjective since it is derived from beliefs that are not backed by any proof.
  • Scientists are of the view that science can help in decreasing the gap between the rich and the poor. But the people who are more inclined towards religion are pessimistic. They challenge the former’s views and rebel against it.
  • Science studies about the world as we know. But religion is a lot associated with the supernatural world that we aren’t aware of.
  • In science, people welcome new ideas and try experimenting with them. On the contrary, religion believes in certain ideas and doesn’t even accept trying new things.
  • Science is tested and is challenged. It is subject to incorrectness. This facilitates for science to evolve over time. But religion is blindly believed and those that attempt to challenge it are convicted of heresy.
  • According to HE Barnes, religion and science are not always conflicting. He says that conflict exists between fundamentalist religion and modern science but not between modern science and humanism (which is considered as the modern trend of religion). He believes that the two can coexist if they respect and recognize each other.

Bronislaw Malinowski on this religion and science:

Malinowski (a Polish social anthropologist), in his book Magic, Science and Religion, talks about primitive humans and science and religion in that context. He believes that magic, science, and religion are three different forms of knowledge. He holds it that the primitive people had scientific knowledge not through experimentation but through experience with nature and used their knowledge in day-to-day lives. For him, unlike his predecessors, magic is not being ignorant about science but it, in fact, goes hand-in-hand with science. He believes that magic is important when nature is unpredictable and this requires man to deal with anxiety. He believes that religion works in the same way as magic does except for it that it is applicable to the public domain.

Summing up, religion is a set of morals, conventions, and ethics. Science, on the other hand, is a collection of knowledge regarding various phenomena that occur in one’s daily life as well as one’s behavior which is studied through analysis and proofs.

References:

www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/religious-institutions/difference-between-religion-and-science/31377

https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-difference-between-religion-science.html

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