Science (or my faith in...)

A friend provoked me today through questions asked with a smile about my belief in science. She was prepared for the conversation, as a graduate student of the anthropology of science, and she enjoyed her provocations. That a cat interrupted perturbed with any topic unrelated to her, or that the room fell into shadows as we talked gave evidence that the natural world cared less about our pursuit of each other's views on the world.

Though academic and filled with digressions on the shapes of trees and the appropriateness of wearing used leather, I felt that the conversation was important because we kept coming back to faith. And faith is a word I don't use well. It motivates some people to act. It's also what the best education can bury, obscure, and possibly even do away with completely. In red/blue rhetoric, faith might be distilled between faith in religion (skewed towards fanaticism) and faith in science (leading toward a vague, possibly amoral, view of the world). It's an unfair choice, maybe, but common enough. It's how a creationist chips away at another's belief in evolution. And it forces a response. Are they the same? Is my faith (to make it more personal) in a knowable universe (that may never be fully known) the same guiding principle to me as another's faith in the Book of Mormon to them? Does faith necessarily deal in certainty?

If I ask too many questions, I won't move towards answers (assuming there are answers to be had). For tonight, I'll just speak from my gut. Science won't get me out of bed in the morning. It does help me sort through the many voices in the world and pick those to whom I'll listen. It privileges education (and is admittedly based on my belief that the universities are not liberal tools of indoctrination). But, it doesn't help me live in the world or to live with others, except when if offers rich fields for Sunday afternoon conversation. It may, however, keep me from finding faith elsewhere, particularly in religion which has done well in proving itself as a source of inspiration for daily life. When one has the luxury to shop around for culture and beliefs, it's very easy to go hungry. And despite a perfect omelet pulled off the stove while writing this, I do feel like it has been a while since I've left feeling satisfied.