Science Is Hard. Religious Faith Is Easy. [View all]

To truly understand science, one must study science. The more you study, the more you understand, and the less the less. Learning enough to follow the evidence to its conclusions can take a lifetime. Not everyone is interested enough to undertake such study. But, an easier path is available to them.

Faith requires, well, faith. You can study religious scriptures, but faith does not require you to do so. It is easy to simply accept the words of whatever religious leader you listen to. It's easy to believe things that have no evidence if the promise is a good outcome. It is easier to believe that God created every living thing than to understand how living things have evolved.

Because of those two things, it's not difficult to understand why so many people choose to have faith in a religion and accept what they are told and what is in ancient books of "wisdom." Once you have such faith, there is no need to seek other answers. in fact, it can be very confusing to do so. It's a choice, really.

It is difficult to study science, whether from a professional or a lay perspective. The more you study, the more you find that there is to study. For some, that is a very attractive prospect. For others, it is just too much work to gain enough knowledge to really understand what has been learned and what is currently being learned. It's a choice, really.

For those who choose faith, I have no animosity. They have chosen a simpler path. For those who choose to seek evidence-based knowledge, I have considerable respect. They are trying, each in his or her own way, to understand the universe in which they live. That choice is less simple. We all make choices. I have chosen science and evidence. I will never understand all of it. Nobody can. However, I can continue to learn new facts and learn about new evidence for current theories for as long as I live. I find that far more satisfying than simply accepting a faith-based set of beliefs that have no real evidence.