What’s the difference between dogmatism and science?
This article Neutrinos Travel Faster Than Light, According to One Experiment suggests that neutrinos travel faster than light. If this turned out to be true, it would redefine physics as we know it. Einsteins Theory of Relativity would be disproved with this one new fact, for instance. To say that this would be an amazing discovery is an understatement.
This quote is a wonderful demonstration of the difference between religous dogmatism and science.
“I suspect that the bulk of the scientific community will not take this as a definitive result unless it can be reproduced by at least one and preferably several experiments,” says V. Alan Kostelecky, a theorist at Indiana University, Bloomington. He adds, however, “I’d be delighted if it were true.“
Suppose someone said “Hey we found proof that Jesus was just a man and actually not the son of God.” How many Christians would say “Oh wow, that’s amazing, I hope it’s true?”
Science is not dogmatic. It is constantly being updated as we discover new facts. Although it is unlikely that this will turn out to be true, the fact that it excites scientists rather than instil abject fear is a testament to its lack of dogmatism.