Conflict

Sometimes I myself have argued that there is no conflict between science and religion because they are two different ways of knowing.  I was wrong:

Some wacky creationist has slapped together routine statements from creationist websites (especially Answers in Genesis) that declares a central scientific theory false, that accuses scientists of conspiracy to lie to students and citizens, that demands that you have to accept their religion and repudiate science or burn in hell forever, and we've got scientists shrugging their shoulders and saying there isn't a battle. One side is shooting at the other, and my side is in a state of denial. Of course there's a freaking conflict between science and religion. We're in the middle of a war right now where what is at stake is the minds of our children (and the creationists would agree with that statement), while too many of us pretend nothing is going on to be concerned about.

When my kids were younger, they sometimes complained to me about being picked on at school.  My advice was generally to ignore it, and the jerks will get bored and move on to someone else.  There were situations, though, where ignoring harassment didn't work.  It was in those circumstances that I suggested breaking the offending kid's nose.

I've tried politely ignoring religious attacks on reason and science with a tight-lipped PC smile.  From now on, though, while I won't go out of my way to be hostile to religion, I'm not going to be all quiet and respectful when people attack science and reason.  Too much is at stake.  I don't want to go back to the dark ages.