I majored in chemistry with many hours of physics, biology and geology and I will bet that religion has never stood in the way of free thinking and science in Western Europe or the United States in the last 250 years. I was never taught that what I learned in chemistry, physics, biology or geology conflicted with a religion. I was only taught the damned facts. On Sunday I was never taught not to peruse a course in college or school.
Please tell me where any U.S. religious faith stopped the progression of science? Did religion interfere with the writing of the Declaration of Independence? Did it interfere with the drafting of the Constitution? Did it stop the industrial revolution? Did it stop flight? Did it stop the development of chemistry, physics, ecology, geology, biology?
Of course, there were many arguments; however, the Christian church actually helped the progress of science after the Protestant revolution. In fact, the framers of our country used the “free thinking” that followed the Protestant revolution to frame our countries institutions.
There is friction between science and religion; however, the Protestant revolution freed the world from the stranglehold of religious restrictions. You can protest all you want but it does not change the facts.
