The Recurring Problem with Understanding Science

[MineralMan]

Books and publications. They're expensive. Worse, if you want to stay current on research in the sciences, you have to constantly purchase or obtain up-to-date information. The internet helps, but most current scientific publications are in journals, most of which charge for you to read full articles. Most people who are not scientists rely on science publications and websites that specialize in explaining such research in terms that can be understood by non-scientists, but it's still hard to keep up with new discoveries and theories. Fresh, new knowledge appears every day in the sciences. That's a real problem.

On the other hand, people interested in religion can turn to books written long, long ago. They can read their Bibles, in whatever translation they like best. Those books don't change or get out of date. That's because there are no changes. The original books were written at least a couple thousand years ago, and nothing new has been written that replaces that old information. So, once you have your Bible, you don't have to invest in any further publications to have the original material, already translated for you and ready to read. Even better, once you read it and remember it, you don't have to read it again.

So, religion is a lot easier than science for the average person. No pesky changes to deal with as new information about research becomes available. That appeals to a lot of people, who don't really want to have to keep up with stuff. The old stories are just fine, after all. No need to spend time on keeping current.