'Follow the Science' or Follow Your Faith?

As Americans, what do we put our faith in?

For the first time in history, a majority of Americans do not belong to a church, according to recent findings from The Pew Research Center.

That on its own is cause for concern among religious leaders.

At the same time, America’s faith in science continues to grow. In 2019, 86 percent of the country said that they believed that scientists were acting in the public interest. This faith manifested itself during the COVID-19 pandemic as a frequent call from scientists, elected officials, and many citizens for the country to “follow the science” while making public policy.

This trend away from religious faith and toward a belief that science is a perfect guide for life, however, is not constructive. Anyone interested in building a good society founded on individual liberty and sustained by religious principles must address this decline in religion and the rise of science as America’s new faith.

Scientism, or the belief that all true knowledge must be empirically verifiable, grows from a natural appreciation for the physical sciences. The application of the scientific method has led to remarkable advancements in medicine and other critical technologies that have changed the world for the better. Some see this success and try to apply these methods to other areas of study. Attempting, however, to apply the scientific method to moral, ethical, philosophical, or theological questions is incoherent; it takes other forms of knowledge and study to understand these fields. Therefore, excessive faith in science to answer all of life’s questions in unjustified.

Regardless, scientism is gaining ground on religion and other fields as a trusted source of authority. While 86 percent of Americans expressed their faith in scientists to act in the public interest, 83 percent said that the military was working for the public good, 48 percent approved of the news media, 43 percent showed trust in business leaders, and a mere 37 percent expressed confidence in elected officials. Tellingly, only 61 percent of Americans in this study said that religious leaders were acting in the public interest, a 25-point difference in trust from the scientists. Pew’s study indicates that scientists have surpassed not only religious leaders in public approval, but have also replaced businessmen, political leaders, and the media as the most trusted sources of cultural and political authority in American life.

There is also a tension between the roles Americans believe that science and faith should play in public life. In the same Pew study, 60 percent of Americans responded that scientists ought to take an active role in public policy debates. Conversely, only 49 percent of Americans suggested that churches should express political views.

A growing number of Americans also believe that science and religion often conflict. Another Pew study revealed that over 50 percent of Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, perceive frequent conflicts between science and their faith. This attitude, that religion and science are incompatible, is most pronounced, however, among religiously unaffiliated Americans. Among this demographic, 76 percent believe that religion and science are often in conflict.

These data give three important insights about the nature of religion and science in the United States.

First, the decline in overall church membership has progressed for 60 years and shows no sign of slowing down. The first dip below 50 percent membership in 2021 may have been a result of church closures associated with the pandemic year, but this new majority of unaffiliated adults is likely here to stay. The trend shows no precedent for a major increase in church membership.

Second, the power of scientism will likely continue to grow. The data show that non-religious Americans believe that science and faith often conflict. An increasingly non-religious population will tend to fall back on scientism to explain the entire world, thereby increasing the ideology’s prevalence.

Finally, as scientism grows — at the expense of religion — the relative influence that science and scientists have on public policy will also increase. Science does have a legitimate role to play in solving public policy issues, but it is not the only factor that merits consideration. An increased focus on scientism in politics will tend to favor experts, bureaucrats, and the state at the expense of local communities and individuals.

Given these trends and their consequences, those interested in fostering a free and virtuous society must consider ways to reverse the rise of scientism. If many Americans are unlikely to return to religion, one possible solution is a better education system. Scientists must be exposed to philosophy and other areas of study so that they can see both the virtues, but also the inherent limitations, of their fields. American high school students should also receive a better classical education that places appropriate, but not undue, influence on the natural sciences. As many parents and local school boards continue to debate other parts of the curriculum in the nation’s schools, Americans should also keep the risks of scientism and the benefits of these policies in mind.

Michael Libanati, a graduate of the University of Chicago, is an Acton Institute Emerging Leader. Thomas Richter, a student at the University of Notre Dame, is an Acton Institute Emerging Leader.