Scientists use conference to attack religion. Now here is a discussion that is needed now more then ever.

Somewhere along the way, a forum this month at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., which might have been one more polite dialogue between science and religion, began to resemble the founding convention for a political party built on a single plank: in a world dangerously charged with ideology, science needs to take on an evangelical role, vying with religion as teller of the greatest story ever told.

Carolyn Porco, a senior research scientist at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colo., called, half in jest, for the establishment of an alternative church, with Dr. Tyson, whose powerful celebration of scientific discovery had the force and cadence of a good sermon, as its first minister.

She was not entirely kidding. “We should let the success of the religious formula guide us,” Dr. Porco said. “Let’s teach our children from a very young age about the story of the universe and its incredible richness and beauty. It is already so much more glorious and awesome — and even comforting — than anything offered by any scripture or God concept I know.”

It is about time that this started happening around the world.

I know that there are people who visit this site for the political musings, or quirky news stories, who do not share my disdain for religions, but it is my fervent belief that much of the ills visited upon the world today stem from competing religious beliefs.

The idea that neighbor would kill neighbor simply because they worship the same God in differing ways is, to my mind, the definition of insanity. It just makes no sense to hate somebody for their beliefs. But that is what is happening around the world. And it is getting worse.

Science is all inclusive. If you examine the same evidence you usually reach the same relative conslusions. But when you add cultural or religious differences it can throw a huge monkey wrench in the scientific discourse.

It is time for all of the children of the world to have access to unbiased, un-censored scientific facts. Regardless of what beliefs they may challenge. In my opinion, anything that cannot stand up to the harsh reality of scientific inquiry is just not worth believing.