Again on scientism (and science)

John was silent for a few minutes.

Then he began again: “But how do you know there is no Landlord?”

“Christopher Columbus, Galileo, the earth is round, invention of printing, gunpowder!” exclaimed Mr. Enlightenment in such a loud voice that the pony shied.

“I beg your pardon,” said John.

“Eh?” said Mr. Enlightenment.

“I didn’t quite understand,” said John.

“Why, it’s as plain as a pikestaff,” said the other. “Your people in Puritania believe in the Landlord because they have not had the benefits of a scientific training. For example, I dare say it would be news to you to hear that the earth was round — round as an orange, my lad!”

“Well, I don’t know that it would,” said John, feeling a little disappointed. “My father always said it was round.”

“No, no, my dear boy,” said Mr. Enlightenment, “you must have misunderstood him. It is well known that everyone in Puritania thinks the earth flat. It is not likely that I should be mistaken on such a point. Indeed, it is out of the question.”

C. S. Lewis, The Pilgrim’s Regress: An Allegorical Apology for Christianity, Reason, and Romanticism [1933] (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992), 20-21.

***

And here are a couple of potentially interesting links:

“C. S. Lewis: Science and Scientism”

“What is Science and What is Scientism?”

***

Finally, motivated by what I’m continually told is my fear and hatred and abject ignorance of science, I offer some links to articles that I’ve recently found interesting:

“99-Million-Year-Old Snake Fossils Found Preserved in Amber”

How wicked!

“Scientists identify exoplanets where life could develop as it did on Earth”

Utterly Satanic!

“What is a “Habitable” Planet, Anyway?”

I can scarcely contain my seething rage!

“The Top Six Dinosaur Myths”

Those nasty, evil scientists!

“Find shows 4,000-year-old trade routes stretched from Carolinas to Great Lakes: Cremated remains and a copper band suggest far-flung trade and social connections.”

Just more fiendish lies!

“Plate tectonics not needed to sustain life”

I can barely restrain myself from violence!

“String Theory May Create Far Fewer Universes Than Thought: Some physicists claim the popular landscape of universes in string theory may not exist”

Is there no limit to their depravity?

“What kills you when a volcano erupts? It’s not what you think”

At this point, I think that I’m expected to hope that such a volcano-induced death befalls all those evil followers of science out there.  We hates ’em forever, we does!