Science is the search of knowledge through methodology and experimentation and ONLY science can do that. Any other form of knowledge is ignorant by definition. You can believe all you want that saying a prayer will cure a disease cause your grand-ma said so but the only way to really cure a disease is to understand it, study it, obtain knowledge of elements that interact with it and ultimately cure it, no other way can achieve that.

I am looking at reality way more than many others do. A religious person could think a supernova is a God or something, I only care to know the scientific principles that explain the end of a star and the fact it explodes to make the supernova, why? Because I ONLY CARE about reality, not fantasy or beliefs or superstition.

The fact you dare write "science is NOT knowledge" says it all about your misguided opinion on science. I wish you'd understand the fundamental contradiction when you say that science is not knowledge. Because science is the very definition of knowledge, just like religion is all about faith, not sure religious people would be amused if you told them religion has nothing to do with faith...

You keep claiming people here are misguided on what science is. We all know. What I'm criticising is how narrowmindedly you interpret the use of science. And of course science itself is not knowledge. Because knowledge can be gathered in realms outside science, ie. philosophy and religion. Knowledge itself is all-encompassing and science is a part of that, but you turned the whole notion upside down.

What you seem to care about is the ideal of science. So far you've just deflected the notion of applied science alltogether.

Philosophy and religion? Really? Please give me a principle that comes from religion that can be verified through methodology and experimentation? Jesus walking on water? Sorry, people who cares about knowledge have tried it and it does not work and it does not work because it is impossible, it violates the laws of physics, you know the REAL laws that govern the REAL universe. You can say I'm wrong all you want but until you manage to walk on water and prove the laws of physics to be wrong, you have no ground to stand on (sorry for the pun)

So until you prove a principle that come from religion as it being a fact, such principle is not established and cannot be accepted as factual knowledge, it's part of human culture but it is not real as in what science describes as real.

As for philosophy, there is a kind of wisdom in philosophy because it allows us to think over matters and ideas but until such ideas translate into scientific reality, those thoughts are only abstract and speculative. In other words I definitely place philosophy above religion but it is not as objective as pure science. It's not meant to be as objective of course and one could argue it is complementary but you will not manage to power the internet or a space rocket with philosophy.

Anyway we are digressing, the issue of this thread is a comparison between science and religion and which is a bigger threat to mankind and I've already explained that science is not a threat to mankind, that those who threaten mankind with bombs and guns and all that stuff, do so in the name of religion or politics or money but not in the name of science. This should be obvious but sadly this thread demonstrates it's not. And honestly those who think science is this big bad thing not better than religion and threatening mankind, should log off the net, throw away their cell phones, TV's and computers and everything else made by science and go live in the forest or something cause it's very hypocritical to spit on science and at the same time use it every day.

That's your opinion man. I gave a very well structured and reasoned approach why these things are only compareble in their practicle applications, but I can't reason with you If you keep being dogmatic about it.

Science is a tool and to some so is religion. Science is constantly growing, changing, correcting itself over time, but then so is religion through social, cultural, and perspective shifts and changes. It’s a really good question honestly. People are the source of all the problems though, be that from science or religion, which may provide a better path to the answer. I think defining the debate over science and religion is somewhat blinding to the real problems in humanity and gives in to the mainstream labels which limit the debate, perhaps in a way that also facilitates the problems. Thoughts and habits within our culture and species is what propels our path, and no human conversation is going to be without a risk of this manipulation. We are a closed set of ourselves.

I've said all I had to say about this so I'll finish by telling you about an episode of the Simpsons that I saw a long time ago and this thread just reminded me of that episode.

In it, there is this comet coming from outer space threatening to destroy the city of Springfield. Long story short no one can stop this comet cause this big bad monster called science is not advanced enough to deflect or destroy the comet so Springfield is doomed and all must die... Luckily the comet breaks down upon entering the atmosphere and everybody is fine at the end.

And then someone says: Let's go destroy the observatory so something like this never happens again.

That line is only a joke and it's exaggerated of course but it's a great caricature of some people and their ignorance on what science is and what it means to mankind.

Only Toaru Majutsu no Index can answer this.

Except it's completely unnaplicable in this discussion.

Really? Do I have to break it down for you?  Okay.

They want to destroy the observatory cause they believe if the observatory (science) had not spotted the comet, that somehow the threat of that comet would not exist and therefore the real threat is the observatory and the science behind it and not their ignorance which they don't see as a threat, it's science that is the threat, of course...

A joke of course but an excellent caricature of people's ignorance.

Science, a threat to mankind... Do you see how it is related to this thread yet? I guess not cause you don't want to see, my dogmatic friend

I understand the caricature but it's not applicable.