Science

I often listen to the local "Christian" radio station, because I find their viewpoints rather interesting, although seldom ones I agree with. Today, I checked out "Return to the Word," with Pastors Ed Bulkley and Alden Laird (a show perhaps more acurately titled "Why we hate psychology and psychiatry, and we're none too fond of that science stuff neither.") The topic was "The Limitations of Science," with an emphasis on the Columbia disaster.

This is an excellent topic for discussion. Science can give us the answer to a tremendous number of things. It is an exciting and wonderous area of human endeavor. In terms of the Columbia, I hope that it can provide the answers to how this tragedy happened, and how we should proceed in the future.

Science, however, cannot answer everything. It is not equipped, nor is it meant to, answer the larger questions faced. Is there a God? If so, why does these things happen? Will these astronauts have a life beyond? Do any of us? Why are we here? What is our purpose? What is moral, or just, to do with the scientific knowledge we have? Are there things we have the scientific ability to do that we should refrain from? These, and so many questions like them, are matters for religion and philosophy, not scientific inquiry. We should not look in the textbooks for an answer, but instead examine our souls.

This, sadly, was not what was discussed. Instead, I will provide a sampling of the comments made, by both the hosts and callers, to give you an idea of the flavor of the show. (Some comments may not be exactly verbatum, due to my nonexistant shorthand skills, but I have not altered the gist of what was said.)

"We're seeing more disasters, and they are the judgment of God . . . we as a nation have shown how evil we really are."

"I'm not trying to depreciate their (the shuttle astronauts') deaths, but why are we as a nation paying so much attention to this, and not the people who died in a church bus crash?"

" . . . there are demonic forces attacking us."

"Science textbooks are revised as soon as they come out (said as an argument as why science can't be trusted like the bible can) . . . Some science textbooks used in schools still have Piltdown Man in them."

"They (scientists? teachers?) use (evolution) to brainwash people."

"Science has made some advances but . . . they ("they" again - scientists? teachers?) are in spititual darkness so they use science, as it's the devil's tool."

"They (there's that "they" again) are using science against Christians."

"We have to get the bible back into the schools . . . and cast out all the evil that is there. . . there's no reason why Christian teachers can't be reading the Word to the students. . . ."

This show wasn't about the limitations of science. It really wasn't about science at all, at least what science really is. It was about contempt for science. It was about disparaging science. It was about a hatred for science, when it may challenge our cherished beliefs. It was a complete misunderstanding about what science is, what it accomplishes, and how scientific thought is demonstrated. And ultimately, it was a slap in the face to those that died, and all that they were trying to achieve. Given what I've heard from these people on this show in the past, I'm not exactly surprised. But it still saddens me that this ignorant babble is all that they could come up with to commemorate the Columbia crew. I hope that we as a nation can do better to immortalize their memory.