Theology is NOT a Science

September 18, 2011 in Atheism, Being, Belief, christianity, Invalid Belief, Philosophy, Uncategorized, Valid Belief

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What is the definition of theology? What is meant by the term when it is used? Well, regardless of the source, the roots of the word, theos and logos: logos refers to a study of the nature the underlying, or fundamental, basis of reality, and of the relationship between this and humans. Theos, refers to a deity, and when used here, denotes that the fundamental basis of reality is a deity, or group thereof. As such, theology is the study of the nature of a deity (or deities) and of the nature of the human relationship with it/them. Some also describe it, within a christian sense certainly, as a scientific study of their god and of their relationship with it. And the information that is gathered from this process, also referred to as knowledge by those who subscribe to it, dictates not only how they understand reality, but also how they ought to live. Each sect of any particular religious tradition will have its own theology, and within each one of these religions, there may be multiple alternative theologies that contradict with the prevailing theology on one or more points.

In the above paragraph there was a concept I would like to explore further: specifically, that theology is scientific in nature, and, consequently, that the information gained from theological studies is knowledge.

What is science? Science is understood to be the process of methodologically examining the nature of reality; it involves developing and testing hypotheses, analyzing and sharing data, having others repeat the processes you used in order to determine if they are able to reproduce your results. As information gathered through these experimental processes is corroborated by others, this information moves into the realm of knowledge. But even when something is considered to be part of our accumulated scientific knowledge, it is always a tenet which is falsifiable; that is, all tenets of scientific knowledge must always be able to stand up to valid tests of its accuracy (scientific knowledge is not comprised of principles that are not able to be tested, and hence, are unverifiable). This offers a summary analysis of the relationship between science and knowledge.

With this understanding of what science and its relationship to knowledge is, it is time to re-examine the concept of theology. Is it a valid pursuit at all?

The answer: not at all. The concept of a god, any god, is a matter of faith. No person has been able to provide evidence for any god whatsoever. And religion will actually admit this – that is why religion relies on faith as a tool of persuasion. There is no methodological process by which an individual, ANY individual can study the nature of reality and uncover the existence of a specific god or group thereof. All that exists is this religion or that, is conjecture and gross speculation. When gross speculation is employed in the world financial system, recession or depression (depending on which authority figure is discussing it) ensues; when gross speculation is employed in the areas of the nature of reality and what it means to be, you end up with a dogmatic and very anti-human institution. When you determine what is actually the case, without needing evidence to justify it, you can justify anything you like.

This is not science, this is bullshit. This is petty, primitive thinking wrapped up in an air of superiority.