Believing Science: Why You Can Believe Science Without Believing In Science

Science is not a belief system. It requires no act of faith; there are no sacraments one must take; it has no unquestionable doctrine. It is a process by which we can come to learn about the world around us through experimentation and observation. The scientific field is constantly flooded with new research that examines our current way of understanding the world, and it continually leads to a better understanding of our existence. Science is responsible for almost every facet of our modern lives: modern medicine, cell phones, computers,cars, television, advances in food and agriculture. Science has proven itself trustworthy and reliable.

Science is not a belief system. But you can *believe* science. You can believe science the same way you can believe a loved one when they tell you that they will always be there for you; you can believe science the same way you can believe your doctor in prescribing medication; you can believe science the same way you can believe your mechanic on necessary repairs.

You can believe science because it has earned your trust. It has consistently shown you time and again that it is a self-correcting process, that it is a reliable way of examining our world and improving upon it. Science as a process has given us so much, and we owe science our thanks.

"Believe" means to "accept as true," and "belief" means "trust, faith, or confidence."

I trust science, I have confidence in science, and I have "faith in" science, even though my acceptance of science requires no faith. I believe that science as a process is one of the most fulfilling and beautiful parts of our human existence.  I believe science.