Originally Posted by
Mithra
Of course they are you can't really call yourself a scientist if you believe in religion.
Sir Isaac Newton considered himself among a select group of individuals chosen by God for the task of understanding Biblical scripture, and wrote a papers on the literal interpretation of the Bible. Gregor Mendel was a priest, and preformed his studies of pea plant variation, which later became the foundation for modern genetics, in the monastery garden.
Religion isn't inherently incompatible with science, and many highly accomplished scientists are also religious, some quite devoutly so. Furthermore, the vast majority of religious individuals do accept scientific theories, and are able to integrate their religious beliefs into a scientific understanding of the world without inappropriately rejecting scientific evidence. Religion is only contradictory with science when it's taken as absolute and literal fact to the exclusion of scientific evidence to the contrary, and it's only a small number of fundamentalists who take religion to this extreme.
Originally Posted by
Mithra
Religion in a way is a scientific theory though one which is untestable and therefore not a real science.
Religion is
not a scientific theory. Religious beliefs could be called theories under the common use of the word, but not the scientific use. In science, the word "theory" has a very specific meaning, and only applies to explanations that are supported by scientific data and are testable by scientific methods.
Originally Posted by
Mithra
Personally I think if you have a certain level of scientific understanding religion loses it's purpose.
The "purpose" of religion is far more complex than simply explaining how things are. Religion can provide a sense of purpose, and a sense of hope through difficult times. It can be a source of moral and ethical guidance, and help to bring communities together. Religious institutions can also provide a number of services to the community, and to individuals in need.
Also, religion can be viewed from a scientific perspective as a cultural construct, and as a psychological element, and I think it could be see as very significant at both societal and individual levels. Religion can sometimes be a source of conflict, but through history it has also been a source of cultural unity, morality, and considerable progress. At the individual level, it can sometimes be a source of deliberate ignorance, but it can also be a positive psychological factor and even help with overcoming mental illness.