Essentially, science utilizes the power of reason and logic in its search for the truth while religion depends almost wholly upon faith, being a belief in something without any evidence whatsoever to support it. In the realms of science, investigators seek to understand natural phenomena through direct observation and experimentation which makes it mandatory that all interpretations of the facts be provisional and testable. Statements made by any authority, revelation or appeal to the supernatural are not part of this process, due to the absence of supporting evidence.
Thus, in the eyes of religious scholars and authorities, all opposition to what science has uncovered is based on faith and mythological revelation which takes precedence over evidence. Also, the tenets of religion have not, for the most part, changed much over time and cannot be validated when subjected to the scientific method.
Like many others that study the natural world, scientists are awed by the order and complexity of nature. Religion provides one way for human beings to be comfortable with these marvels, yet the goal of science is to seek and discover natural explanations for certain phenomena, such as the origins of life and the nature of the earth and the universe which can only be understood via the framework of natural laws and principles that exist throughout the universe and the operational rules of testability, meaning that all phenomena must be examined scientifically and then tested to determine if the results hold up under extreme scrutiny in the laboratory or in the field.
On the other hand, organized religion, with the exception of Buddhism, attempts to explain the natural world through the existence of a supreme being, referred to as Jehovah in the Old Testament and Allah by the Muslims. In this context, religion mandates that the universe and everything in it, including man, exist because God willed it. Once again, the philosophies associated with Jesus Christ, Mohammed and Buddha are not part of the equation, for they do provide valid methods for human beings to live and practice.
In some of the books of the Holy Bible, man is encouraged to roam the natural world in responsible freedom, meaning that man must show respect to God's creations. In addition, the Holy Bible places man in the position as a creature of God and part of the divine created order. But unlike the rest of the natural world, man has the power of...
With these powers, man is commanded by God to control and manipulate the world, not as an arrogant and selfish being but as a steward of God's creations.
And here we come to the second reason why organized religion should be banished from human existence. Why is it necessary for a God to be the sole author on how man should live his life? Why is it necessary for a human being to have religious convictions in order to be responsible and moral person? From the viewpoint of atheism, God does not exist which leaves man all alone in the world and forces him to confront his problems without the aid of a supreme being. Science has in effect brought the human race to a very precarious position, due to making discoveries in the field of astronomy that the Earth is nothing special in the universe and may in fact be replicated in other solar systems to some degree. Most recently, scientist, such as those that study human genetics and heredity, have come to the conclusion that religion is "hard-wired" into the human brain and is a necessary thing in order for human beings to be responsible and decent, due to fearing the retribution of God if he/she does not live according to His "commandments" or other forms of divine law.
Without a doubt, organized religion holds the power to control and manipulate human beings by instilling within them beliefs and practices based almost entirely on mythology and irrationality. Humans are constantly fearful of what will become of their "soul" when they die and organized religion provides the most fundamental paradigm to ensure that a human being will "go to Heaven" or end up "in Hell." Once again, why must a person have religious convictions just to be a responsible and law-abiding member of the human race? It seems that if man could only do away with his superstitions and mythologies and come to realize that he alone holds the power, then his mind would be clear and logical and all of his fears linked to the retributions of a supreme being would vanish.
Of course, many will ask exactly how this would be accomplished, due to human beings possessing irrational fears, especially of the unknown. Therefore, the time must come when man understands and accepts his position in the universe, for only then will he achieve absolute freedom of choice and the ability to pursue more profitable enterprises based on logic and reason.
