As Labrialumn noted the other day, since the election of Barack Obama, in many cases "the Left are crowing that the Christians are now irrelevant and [can] be shut up." The article on which I had posted -- the one that claimed that now "reason replaces religion" -- is just one case in point.

I've been wondering about that. Since President Obama has openly professed faith in Christ, why do so many of his allies seem so slow to believe his faith has any relevance, or that he will find any common cause with his fellow believers?

I think Mike D'Virgilio at The Culture Project has found the key, in examining Obama's words from the Inaugural Address about "restoring science to its rightful place":

The lefty blogs and commentators that I read about this jumped on the contrast of “Science” to the “faith-based” world of President Bush. In six words President Obama, I’m sure more than he knows, laid down the gauntlet in the cultural clash of our time.

“Science” as we all know has become the de facto authoritative force for all truth and morality in Western culture. Of course science cannot play the role fully or very well, because science isn’t philosophy or religion. The true “rightful place” of science is in the area of observable, empirical data. But “science” circa 2009 is observable, empirical data along with a whole host of non-empirical assumptions and political agendas.

President Obama’s “Science,” and that of all his pals on the secular left, and in fact of most Americans, including many on the right, is the Magisterium of our time. We look to science as medieval man looked to The Church. “Science” will save us, “Science” will comfort us, and “Science” will interpret our world, our place in the universe, the meaning of our lives.

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Comments

[Jason Taylor]

Actually I had a rather heated argument over in Steve Jackson Games over that one.

One fellow noted an interesting point. A lot of scientismists were awkward teenagers who thought of science as a break from social jockeying and a way to find friends.

Another point to remember is that scientisimists have a tribal loyalty. Disrespecting science is like disrespecting Mohammad. While that is an amuseing irony and all the fact is that hacking at someone elses tribal loyalty is tough work and good seldom comes of it. Paradoxically it does make me feel a little better about them. When someone has a tribal loyalty he is still being human and not incidently is not being totally alien to yours truly.
Nevertheless it was an unfortunate phrase and it does make one wonder that a profession should be given a "rightful place".

[LeeQuod]

JT wrote: "A lot of scientismists were awkward teenagers who thought of science as a break from social jockeying and a way to find friends."

Hey, be nice! (sulk, pout)

[Jason Taylor]

That was nice. I felt that way. Except it was chess and Bible Quiz for me, not science.

[Rolley Haggard]

“Science falsely so called” is the good old KJV phrase (from1 Timothy 6:12) that jumps to mind reading all this about “restoring science to its rightful place”.

Those who haven’t seen/heard John Piper’s powerful and impassioned address to our newly-elected President -- check it out. He challenges Mr. Obama to get real with “science” of the highest order – i.e., acknowledging and conforming to some of the self-evident truths.

Here’s the link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdnQAB3cJec