While this is a reply to a post by JonF it isn't actually a reply to JonF's post, if you see what I mean.
Its quite wrong to suggest that mostly scientists favour scientism and scientism is therefore anti-religious. Not only do most scientists probably not have beliefs, unless they are really evangelical and dogmatic atheists, that would agree with that definition of scientism. Very few scientist would suggest that science was the appropriate direction to approach religion or morality from for instance.
In fact it is religious fundamentalists, creationists are a good example, who are far
more guilty of scientistic thinking. It is the creationists who insist that evolution is "bad" science and that if only people would study their "good" creation science then the inerrant bible and inerrant science would be seen to agree as they so obviously should and everyone could live happily ever after in the knowledge that universal truths are knowable both by scientific endeavour and divine revalation. Many Islamic fundamentalists exhibit a similar mind set, such as all those who go to great lengths to show how well the Quran accords with modern scientific theories.
Scientific theories should not cause such trouble unless you feel beholden to accept them as perfect and unapproachable truths.
TTFN,
WK
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