Science: The New Religion
We lost sight of the true goal and gift of humanity somewhere along the way. Not of the human species, but of humanity itself. We succumbed to the genetic drive to survive as long as possible, to thwart death, and started ignoring the deeper question of what we’re actually living for.
Science, industry, and military technology intertwined with capitalism and the Industrial Revolution, creating something unprecedented. Modern culture admitted there were important things it didn’t know, but married that admission to the idea that scientific discoveries could give us new powers. As science solved one problem after another, many became convinced that humanity could overcome anything by acquiring and applying new knowledge.
Poverty, sickness, wars, famines, old age, and death itself were no longer inevitable. They were simply the fruits of our ignorance, waiting to be conquered by the next breakthrough.
But here’s what we missed: we began focusing on the problem of staying alive as long as possible while ignoring the key question of what kind of life we’re cultivating. How do we extend the journey without giving thought to where we’re headed?
Our best minds aren’t wasting time trying to give meaning to death. They’re busy investigating the physiological, hormonal, and genetic systems responsible for disease and aging. The pursuit of longevity has become our highest virtue, as if quantity of years equals quality of existence.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not advocating for suffering or early death. But when survival becomes the primary goal, we risk losing what makes life worth living in the first place. The wonder, the connection, the acceptance of our beautiful, temporary nature.
The real breakthrough isn’t defeating death. Maybe it’s learning to live fully while we’re here.