It just remains for me to say that I regard “scientism” as a strongly doctrinal and dogmatic secular religion. And its adherents are definitely “fundamentalists” in the manner and type of preaching they preach.... And it seems as if such folk regard Darwin’s theory as the holiest, most sacred of scientism’s scriptural texts.
***Same here. Perhaps you recall the time I worked with the Religion Moderator to generate the scientism tag as a recognized caucus tag?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/2038869/posts
It was a successful experiment just to hold evolutionists accountable to politeness and extend caucus protection to their belief system. It was difficult for them to adhere to politeness, and they also disliked the fact that we were calling them that it IS a religion when they didn’t want it to be. That’s because their claim to the Capital-T Truth is that science answers all questions and is the default TRuth in the universe.
Strangely, when I sought to use the scientism tag as a protected place where anti-LENR vigilante censorship activists would be held accountable in the same way, the Religion Moderator removed the tag altogether.
It has proven difficult to get FReepers to debate in a respectful manner on certain topics. To steal a paragraph from a previous FR topic:
One of the axioms utilized by H.L. Mencken in analyzing politics in the
United States stated that Americans were unable to grasp arguments on their
face and instead needed them recast in pure Manichean terms, with the most
repellent of devils on one side and the purest of angels on the other.
I’ve seen this axiom come into play on various debates including right
here. It is disheartening to see this logical fallacy lent credulity. But
it is human nature, and moderators are drawn from the cloth of human nature
as are we all.
Oh so true, dear Kevmo — and how depressing. Some people come here to have a serious discussion about serious issues. Others come to stage a food fight....
I'm with you Kevmo: Pace to the AdminMod who decided otherwise; but to me, Scientism clearly is a "religion," or at the very least a religion substitute.
Thank you for your excellent, perceptive essay/post!