Back when foresighted individuals such as Galileo and Copernicus led humanity toward scientific enlightenment, the Church condemned their theories and attempted to quash their influence. Over time, as science fueled the industrial and technologic revolutions, religious organizations were forced to acknowledge that the theories of those intellectual pioneers had been valid; nevertheless, where scientific evidence directly undermines the basic doctrines of religion (e.g. evolution), the Church, in its varied forms, continues to reject the message.
Over the past few decades, political forces have joined the anti-science coalition, specifically in the area of global warming. Protecting industries that fund their livelihood (i.e. the oil, gas and coal companies), conservative politicians ridicule the scientific evidence put forth by climatologists. In doing so, they further diminish the value of science in the collective mind of an uneducated public.
Since the days of Galileo and Copernicus, science has strived to uncover truths pertaining to the laws of nature and the evolution of our Universe. When powerful religious and political leaders undermine that effort with mysticism and rhetoric, the welfare of our planet (and, of course, of humanity itself) is placed at risk. Truth cannot prevail in a climate of fear, deception and ignorance.
