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Intro

The core conflict between science and religion is that they require conflicting mindsets:

• Scientific thinking requires believing in what evidence shows.
• Religious thinking requires believing in dogma.

##Option 1: Most people aren't scientists ## Most people aren't scientists, so they're free to have non-evidence-based beliefs. The minority of scientists eventually build up high technology, while the culture is prodominantly religious.

##Option 2: Civilization has been around for a long time ## Everyone uses evidence-based belief to some degree or another, so even religious believers are capable of understanding and even advancing Science. They might be a lot slower, but given enough time, even a highly religious population should eventually achieve high technology.

##Option 3: AI took over, and humans are a protected species ## Artificial intelligence has advanced, and now human are basically a protected indigenous species. The AI see themselves as zoo keepers, while the humans see the care-taker AI's as a pantheon of deities.

This setting can even include deities granting their priests divine magic. For the AI, this would be giving trusted humans some technology to help them care of others; to the humans, these would be divine blessings from the gods.

##Option 4: Religious ideals are instilled during childhood## Who believes in Santa Claus? But it seems that most parents still pass that belief on to their children.

In this setting, religion could be a youth cult. Many people end up growing out of it and adopting a more evidence-based way of thinking, going on to lead society, but others never leave the religion that they grew up in and eventually become religious elders (clergy). Even the non-religious adults still support religion because they find it endearing.

Intro

The core conflict between science and religion is that they require conflicting mindsets:

• Scientific thinking requires believing in what evidence shows.
• Religious thinking requires believing in dogma.

Option 1: Most people aren't scientists

Most people aren't scientists, so they're free to have non-evidence-based beliefs. The minority of scientists eventually build up high technology, while the culture is prodominantly religious.

Option 2: Civilization has been around for a long time

Everyone uses evidence-based belief to some degree or another, so even religious believers are capable of understanding and even advancing Science. They might be a lot slower, but given enough time, even a highly religious population should eventually achieve high technology.

Option 3: AI took over, and humans are a protected species

Artificial intelligence has advanced, and now human are basically a protected indigenous species. The AI see themselves as zoo keepers, while the humans see the care-taker AI's as a pantheon of deities.

This setting can even include deities granting their priests divine magic. For the AI, this would be giving trusted humans some technology to help them care of others; to the humans, these would be divine blessings from the gods.

Option 4: Religious ideals are instilled during childhood

Who believes in Santa Claus? But it seems that most parents still pass that belief on to their children.

In this setting, religion could be a youth cult. Many people end up growing out of it and adopting a more evidence-based way of thinking, going on to lead society, but others never leave the religion that they grew up in and eventually become religious elders (clergy). Even the non-religious adults still support religion because they find it endearing.

Intro

The core conflict between science and religion is that they require conflicting mindsets:

• Scientific thinking calls for believing in what evidence shows. Scientists advance science by conducting experiments to find evidence wherever there's ambiguity.
• Religious thinking calls for belief in the religious dogma, even if there's no evidence for it or/and evidence to the contrary.

##Option 1: Most people aren't scientists ## Most people aren't scientists, so they're free to have non-evidence-based beliefs. The minority of scientists eventually build up high technology, while the culture is prodominantly religious.

##Option 2: Civilization has been around for a long time ## Everyone uses evidence-based belief to some degree or another, so even religious believers are capable of understanding and even advancing Science. They might be a lot slower, but given enough time, even a highly religious population should eventually achieve high technology.

##Option 3: AI took over, and humans are a protected species ## Artificial intelligence has advanced, and now human are basically a protected indigenous species. The AI see themselves as zoo keepers, while the humans see the care-taker AI's as a pantheon of deities.

This setting can even include deities granting their priests divine magic. For the AI, this would be giving trusted humans some technology to help them care of others; to the humans, these would be divine blessings from the gods.

##Option 4: Religious ideals are instilled during childhood## Who believes in Santa Claus? But it seems that most parents still pass that belief on to their children.

In this setting, religion could be a youth cult. Many people end up growing out of it and adopting a more evidence-based way of thinking, going on to lead society, but others never leave the religion that they grew up in and eventually become religious elders (clergy). Even the non-religious adults still support religion because they find it endearing.

Intro

The core conflict between science and religion is that they require conflicting mindsets:

• Scientific thinking requires believing in what evidence shows.
• Religious thinking requires believing in dogma.

##Option 1: Most people aren't scientists ## Most people aren't scientists, so they're free to have non-evidence-based beliefs. The minority of scientists eventually build up high technology, while the culture is prodominantly religious.

##Option 2: Civilization has been around for a long time ## Everyone uses evidence-based belief to some degree or another, so even religious believers are capable of understanding and even advancing Science. They might be a lot slower, but given enough time, even a highly religious population should eventually achieve high technology.

##Option 3: AI took over, and humans are a protected species ## Artificial intelligence has advanced, and now human are basically a protected indigenous species. The AI see themselves as zoo keepers, while the humans see the care-taker AI's as a pantheon of deities.

This setting can even include deities granting their priests divine magic. For the AI, this would be giving trusted humans some technology to help them care of others; to the humans, these would be divine blessings from the gods.

##Option 4: Religious ideals are instilled during childhood## Who believes in Santa Claus? But it seems that most parents still pass that belief on to their children.

In this setting, religion could be a youth cult. Many people end up growing out of it and adopting a more evidence-based way of thinking, going on to lead society, but others never leave the religion that they grew up in and eventually become religious elders (clergy). Even the non-religious adults still support religion because they find it endearing.

The core tenant of Science is using evidence to evidence to inform belief. Real-life scientists are far less likely to engage in religion because such non-evidence-based belief systems are incompatible with scientific thought. But, in a fictional world, you'd have a few options.

##Option 1: Most people aren't scientists ## Most people aren't scientists, so they're free to have non-evidence-based beliefs. The minority of scientists eventually build up high technology, while the culture is prodominantly religious.

##Option 2: Civilization has been around for a long time ## Everyone uses evidence-based belief to some degree or another, so even religious believers are capable of understanding and even advancing Science. They might be a lot slower, but given enough time, even a highly religious population should eventually achieve high technology.

##Option 3: AI took over, and humans are a protected species ## Artificial intelligence has advanced, and now human are basically a protected indigenous species. The AI see themselves as zoo keepers, while the humans see the care-taker AI's as a pantheon of deities.

This setting can even include deities granting their priests divine magic. For the AI, this would be giving trusted humans some technology to help them care of others; to the humans, these would be divine blessings from the gods.

##Option 4: Religious ideals are instilled during childhood## Who believes in Santa Claus? But it seems that most parents still pass that belief on to their children.

In this setting, religion could be a youth cult. Many people end up growing out of it and adopting a more evidence-based way of thinking, going on to lead society, but others never leave the religion that they grew up in and eventually become religious elders (clergy). Even the non-religious adults still support religion because they find it endearing.

Intro

The core conflict between science and religion is that they require conflicting mindsets:

• Scientific thinking calls for believing in what evidence shows. Scientists advance science by conducting experiments to find evidence wherever there's ambiguity.
• Religious thinking calls for belief in the religious dogma, even if there's no evidence for it or/and evidence to the contrary.

##Option 1: Most people aren't scientists ## Most people aren't scientists, so they're free to have non-evidence-based beliefs. The minority of scientists eventually build up high technology, while the culture is prodominantly religious.

##Option 2: Civilization has been around for a long time ## Everyone uses evidence-based belief to some degree or another, so even religious believers are capable of understanding and even advancing Science. They might be a lot slower, but given enough time, even a highly religious population should eventually achieve high technology.

##Option 3: AI took over, and humans are a protected species ## Artificial intelligence has advanced, and now human are basically a protected indigenous species. The AI see themselves as zoo keepers, while the humans see the care-taker AI's as a pantheon of deities.

This setting can even include deities granting their priests divine magic. For the AI, this would be giving trusted humans some technology to help them care of others; to the humans, these would be divine blessings from the gods.

##Option 4: Religious ideals are instilled during childhood## Who believes in Santa Claus? But it seems that most parents still pass that belief on to their children.

In this setting, religion could be a youth cult. Many people end up growing out of it and adopting a more evidence-based way of thinking, going on to lead society, but others never leave the religion that they grew up in and eventually become religious elders (clergy). Even the non-religious adults still support religion because they find it endearing.