Re: Signs of Scientism

Merv wrote:

> I propose that one of the signs of a "mild" form of scientism, if
> there is such a thing, is the association of the word 'progress' with
> science. That word has become a kind of axiomatic equivalent for
> ultimate good. Yes, there will be setbacks and failures in our
> investigations, theories, and technological applications, but these
> have the potential to leave us smarter than we were before and so we
> have a faith that progress is a good thing and that science is pretty
> much synonymous with progress. Now I'm not trying to promote an
> eternal 'pessimism' as an alternative, but I'm just making a guess
> that our society's staunch faith in scientific progress could be a
> more unifying common denominator than any other religion has ever
> been. Even in this forum, it would be interesting to see which net
> would include the greatest percentage of us: those who adhere to
> some form of Christianity (which would probably include all but a
> few), or those who are committed to a human investment in science
> and technology as a positive and effective way to approach the future.

I don't have time to respond in detail. However, I will just say that
I strongly believe that the only proper Christian context for
understanding the scientific enterprise, or any human activity, is that
of stewardship. I believe that what I do as a geologist and educator
is my spiritual/Christian calling -- every bit as much as a pastor or
missionary. I am called do my work as a stewardship responsibility
for the talents, abilities and gifts given to me by God. This is part
of the larger stewardship of creation given to the Church. We cannot
properly act as stewards over that which we do not know or understand.
Furthermore, we are to be stewards of all God's gifts -- and that
includes our minds.

Keith

Keith B. Miller
Research Assistant Professor
Dept of Geology, Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506-3201
785-532-2250
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/
Received on Wed Jan 18 11:01:43 2006