Science: A Religion? (long post)

[genkaus]

I have set out why I see it as another form of religion. I'm not saying scientific endeavour is a religion because it has replaced religion but because it functions to serve the same needs. The fact it has replace religion as a social authority is a measure of how successful it has been at meeting those needs.

Just because X can function to serve the same needs as Y doesn't make X another form of Y. Two things can be fundamentally different and still overlap regarding the needs they serve. For example, almost all of us have an alarm function on our mobile phones which has effectively resulted in the replacement of alarms to serve the need of waking up in the morning. But an alarm clock and a mobile are fundamentally different. Being an alarm clock isn't even the primary function of a mobile.