It is not suprising that god and gullible both begin with "G".

I agree with most of this article but would suggest that the state of affairs is more an indictment of our political system, of which our education system is a part.

There are two problems with this article. The first is the claim that a belief in religion retards the progress of science. This need not be true, and is generally not true.

The second problem is a more fundamental one. There is a problem with the writer making the claims he does about the validity of the religious view. If he believes that knowledge is to be pursued via some kind of scientific methodology, it ought to be difficult for him to make a definite pronouncement on religious belief, as this is not testable by scientific means.

In what way can the writer "disprove" the idea that there exists a supernatural reality, if his own tools of trade are limited to the natural? Yes, he can be a sceptic - but he cannot pronounce on this issue with any authority.

Absolutely correct Mr Richardson.

As I once pointed out previously in one of these sorts of science-vs-religion articles, all hold to a faith of one kind or another. The scientist has faith in his science that one day it will reveal the answers to the riddle of the universe, life and everything and the religious has faith in his religion to do the same.

Both know exactly the same information, no more, no less, yet each prefers to hold a different faith. Some of us don't mind holding both faiths simultaneously and don't see any conflict.

Until the answers are revealed, it's just another argument about "my football team is better than yours".

Maximus,"The scientist has faith in his science that it will reveal the answers to the riddle of the universe, life and everything --" has a couple of rough edges which are a fundamental impediment.
Firstly, science has no faith in the revelation of such riddles. Science is a search for better understanding. It is a journey. If it were ever to reach a destination of completeness (an understanding of "life and everything, it would have committed hari-kari.
Secondly, scientists working in their fields of endeavour and wishing to find complete and final answers would be at their wits end if ever their search was successful.
What a dull world it must be for those who already have the answers to "life and everything", those who have the answers already delivered on a plate: poor creationists and their ilk; Homo sapiens with their evolutionary heritage of curiosity amputated. Fertile minds castrated, and intellectual agility downgraded to below that of a cat.

colinsett, you cheered up my Saturday afternoon. I see you are a person of good humour, salute. Many thanks.