Takeda,
I did not express my respect because you are a moderator, it is merely a thin gauge of your character, I have been around for a while (before my join date) and followed many threads, and to me you seem reasonable and have fairly balanced views. If I thought otherwise, I would be just as quick to say so, moderator or no. (though I do think that to be a moderator here @SubSim says only good things about ones character
) Your agreement with the general sweep of your first statement reinforces my opinion on this. I just wanted to assure you I am not attacking you or your beliefs in any way. This world takes all sorts, and it would be mighty boring otherwise.
It seemed to me that you felt the author of the video was attacking religion or religious beliefs, and you responded with a reproach. I assert he was not, he lays all the fault with fear, like the title, which I agree is yet another generalizing over-simplification. My interpretation of his message is different, however. What the author is saying is that religion has its root in fear of the unknown. That the forces governing life and death and unexplainable natural phenomena seemed to the newly evolved mind to have a will of their own, and power beyond understanding. Science or the study of natural reality, has its root in curiosity, and the overcoming of fear.
The reason that in the modern age, they appear to be in conflict is this; science takes piece by piece the unknown and uncovers the reality of it. In doing so it eliminates the fear of the unknown, by making it known. As more and more reality is uncovered by scientific study, the scriptures and doctrines are being forced to evolve (though they resist strongly and have not done so nearly enough IMHO) to exclude the findings of science. Many Christians accept that the creation myth in genesis is false in view of our newly acquired knowledge of evolution, for example. The intent of science has never been to compete with religion, it just so happens the side effect of sceptical analysis is - the incremental discreditation of religions that fail or refuse to evolve alongside it.
At the very least, science can be used to fight against its own abuse. What do the scriptures say about global warming, for instance? Anyway for me it is irrelevant, in that it is painfully clear that greed is our nemesis, and is also as Oberon points out is as fundamental to our nature as are fear and curiosity. But fear doesn't help, and science is helping to fix that.
Regards, Sam