We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.
Richard Lewontin cited in J. Warner Wallace, Cold Case Christianity, p. 28
People have been placing signs in their yards as political statements. One of the common signs presents as a credo (technically a credimus but who wants to conjugate Latin verbs?), affirming the various beliefs of the household. On this creed is the line “we believe in science.” Recently, Joe Biden’s victory speech highlighted the centrality of belief in science. Indeed, he juxtaposed hope and science. Science, then, becomes a matter of faith. CNN has hope, science, and truth in a parallel series. Now, I have no strongly informed opinions about the recent presidential election, but what interests me is the worldview implications of Mr. Biden’s speech and, more importantly, the American culture.
The Coronavirus pandemic should have revealed the chink in our scientific armor. After all, we were faced with a virus that we knew (and still know) little about. For all the amazing abilities of modern medicine (and science), COVID-19 has the advantage, and our collective hysteria revealed the folly of our hope. Yet, in an increasingly secular Western culture, science has all the answers (even when it doesn’t). Our only hope is science according to the modern creed. This is not surprising since we have flattened reality into what we can touch and observe (i.e. materialism).[1]. As a result, the modern religion, as expressed in the creed, and in Mr. Biden’s speech, is science. It’s a bleak outlook, but that’s a topic for another day. For now, let’s just note that if we place our faith in science (above all else), we leave no room for the existence of the non-material. Or, as Psalm 115:2–8 puts it:
Why should the nations say,
“Where is their God?”
Our God is in the heavens;
he does all that he pleases.
Their idols are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
eyes, but do not see.
They have ears, but do not hear;
noses, but do not smell.
They have hands, but do not feel;
feet, but do not walk;
and they do not make a sound in their throat.
Those who make them become like them;
so do all who trust in them.
[1] Charles Taylor’s work A Secular Age is especially insightful on this point. For a more accessible summary of his work, see How (Not) to Be Secular by James K. A. Smith.