If someone says science can't explain everything what's the best way to repond?

[Angrboda]

I'd ask them what it is they need explained. The conversation would vary from there depending on what their answer is. All the way from, "You're right," to, "What do you think does a better job of explaining it?"

[robvalue]

Science does explain how religion "works". Which is quite funny to me.

You know, how it's possible that they all "work".

[Noprophets]

And after telling them all which has been offered here by the members, they still wont believe you. Ive tried, and Im about to quit with god believers. Im not (you shouyldnt) get distracted by the illogic. Go on and enjoy your own life, and experiences.

[robvalue]

Like all weak-ass arguments/rationalisations, they are not the real reason for belief. They're like an army of cannon fodder peons that the theist doesn't really care about, to deflect attention away from the real reasons and questions.

[Anomalocaris]

Tell them religion can't explain anything.

Actually, religion absolutely can explain on an ad hoc literally everything that anyone at any given moment might be moved to ask for an explanation.   Religion is just the Cliff Claven character from the TV show cheers, investited with a much more elborate simulation of erudition and gravitas. What religion can do is comprehensive but utterly trivial.

Where religion falls down is in absolute lack of predicative power in any field where predictions can be put to the test, not lack of ad hoc explanatory power.

[Anomalocaris]

According to the Latin root word for religion "re ligare" (to bring together, to bind, to unify), science is the most successful religion since the dawn of history. What else has actually connected humankind together more?

I have a very suspicious feeling that you know what the difference between 'religion' and 'science' are, but you're just intentionally being obtuse, pedantic, and difficult.

I am certain his stupidity is totally involuntarily, even if his pomposity is entirely elective.

[MJ the Skeptical]

To me it's always been like this, if we can't use the rigorous standards within the scientific method to figure it all out then nothing at present moment can. Until some other form of empirical self correcting, problem solving method comes along nothing will ever produce results like we get with the scientific method, nothing. You'll get a nobel prize for discovering something more sturdy than science. If you're in doubt of something, always get your postulations peer reviewed.

[EruptedCarcassBloat]

I'd say that science is only a tool to expand our knowledge of what we can know. I think saying science can't prove everything shows great ignorance of what science is. Science isn't based on just knowing everything either, it's based on challenging beliefs that are already held and self examining your own beliefs, and being willing to give up what you believe when new evidence is presented.

I don't know if I would really like to use the word belief in this situation, because I feel that it would confuse the christian. Because they think of a belief as something that you hold without evidence, but the way I mean belief is in the way I would say I believe that I have fingers being used to type on a keyboard. Idk. I try relentlessly to come up with these sorts of counter arguments. I'll never really know if I've ever turned someone into an atheist, unfortunately there's no score tracker to keep count of all my accomplishments built into the universe. But I wish there was.

[Anomalocaris]

the answer is "science is the only thing that truly takes explaining seriously, that's why science doesn't pretend to be able to explain everything"

[Asmodee]

Science can't explain everything because scientists don't jump to conclusions and just make something up when they don't have enough information to give an intelligent explanation.  If science could explain everything we would either have all the knowledge the universe has to offer or science would be something completely different than what it is now, more like a religion and, thus, completely useless.