SOME CONTRASTS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION
| Science | Religion | |
| 1 | is based on objective factual evidence which is subject to verification | is based on subjective ‘divine’ revelation which cannot be verified |
| 2 | is dependent on fact | is dependent on fantasy |
| 3 | considers all phenomena as natural | considers all phenomena as supernatural e.g. a rainbow, harvest etc is a sign from or work of, a god or demon |
| 4 | assumes that the laws of nature are universally constant | declares that the laws of nature change as the deity sees fit |
| 5 | affirms the equality of all humans | asserts the divine ordaining of rulers and ruled, super and subject races, master and slave |
| 6 | the pronouncements of science are in terms of probabilities | the pronouncements of religion are in terms of absolute certainties |
| 7 | sees ill-health conceived in terms of infection and organ malfunction | sees ill-health conceived in terms of sin, demons and punishment |
| 8 | treats ill-health with blood transfusions, anti-biotics and antiseptic conditions | treats ill-health with prayers, incantations, laying on of hands, spittle and oil |
| 9 | declares that ethical standards are relative and determined by the people | declares that ethical standards are absolute and are given by a deity |
| 10 | sees world peace in terms of mutual agreements and the elimination of injustice and ignorance | sees world peace in terms of a super-natural intervention and imposition of a universal religion |
SOME CONTRASTS BETWEEN ATHEISM AND RELIGION
| Atheism | Religion | |
| 1 | sees love as spontaneous emotion | sees love as a response to a divine command |
| 2 | sees authorities as appointed by the people | sees authorities as divinely appointed |
| 3 | sees all moral laws as man-made | sees all moral laws as divinely decreed |
| 4 | sees marriage as a human agreement | sees marriage as a religious sacrament |
| 5 | considers that gods, ghosts, demons, etc exist only in humans’ imagination | insists that gods, ghosts, demons, etc exist in reality |
| 6 | sees death as a part of the cycle of birth, growth, reproduction, and decline | sees death as the result of Adam’s mis-demeanour (organisms were dying millions of years before humans appeared) |
| 7 | seeks to provide a better life for the living now | promises a way for bliss after death |
| 8 | declares the Inquisition, the rack, the stake and the faggot the result of religious ignorance | declares the Inquisition, the rack, the stake and the faggot the work of an infallible, inspired body doing the revealed will of a deity |
| 9 | sees humans as basically amoral | sees humans as basically immoral |
| 10 | sees the physical resurrection of dead and decaying bodies as impossible | sees the physical resurrection of dead and decaying bodies to be a fundamental doctrine |
By Keith S Cornish