does science require faith to progress? , page-19

Sifer - I get your point - even though heaven and hell don't exist.

In the past it was a life threatening exercise to declare any truth that might go against the orthodoxy of the times. We are still faced with an endless tirade of ignorance, ritual and dogma coming from a lot of the mainstream churches. But, they have had their teeth filed so that men in silly hats no longer hold the power of life and death over people. Large pockets of Islam today are still brutally and murderously ignorant.

I don't believe any scientist in the western world is afraid of or held back by religion.

The problem is we have been in general brainwashed to believe that science and religion can't possibly find a harmonious relationship. The truth is it is impossible for them to be in discord. Science is material knowledge of the workings of a Divine, All-powerful Essence. Religion is the knowledge of the spiritual dimensions of this same Essence.

If you want to separate the wheat from the tares just have a look for the religions who hackle up against science the most and promote allegorical stories from the bible as literal. Man did not invent science - knowledge is a gift from God, both religious and scientific.