Religiously Atheistic in Naturalism
Philosophy and science have been linked from way back when, but some folks think that science is something that stands alone. The secular science industry tends go whole hog into atheistic scientism, a religion in its own right. A philosophy in scientific investigation is methodological naturalism.
Secularists may object that atheism and naturalism are not religious because there is no deity involved. That excuse is disingenuous because users ignore the other definitions of religion; naturalism and atheism are a hand-in-glove worldview. (Indeed, atheism is assumed in academia, harming religious students). Scientists who are creationists or believe in Intelligent Design use methodological naturalism in research just like their unbelieving counterparts. However (as stated here several times), rejecting a logical conclusion that points to the Creator is stifling to science.
There are people who assume that Christians and creationists will not do the work of science, citing the Creator and not digging into the research. Methodological naturalism is supposed to be a neutral ground, but such a thing does not exist. In fact, scientists are being railroaded into a naturalistic religion.
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| Train waiting on tracks, Unsplash / Cowboy Bob Sorensen |
Last year, in an episode of the Mind Matters News podcast, Dr. Angus Menuge and Dr. Robert J. Marks hosted a compelling conversation with philosopher Dr. Robert Larmer. They delved into the philosophical assumptions behind methodological naturalism , the idea that science must limit itself to natural causes.While often portrayed as a neutral rule for scientific inquiry, the guests argued that methodological naturalism may not be as neutral — or necessary — as many suppose. Instead, they suggested that rigid adherence to it may stifle both scientific and theological insights.
This article from an Intelligent Design site has some interesting information. To read the rest, see "Methodological Naturalism as Religion in Disguise." A related piece is "More on Disguised Religion."