14 DAY TRIAL // The fact that the Church and scientists have been in opposition for at least the last 400 years has seeded into our minds the fact that the two have to be fundamentally opposed to each other. Thus, both cannot be true at the same time, a line of thought that is visible in the most common question ever – How was the Universe formed? The dispute between creationists, who advocate the existence of God as the mighty creator, and evolutionists, who say that everything evolution has offered thus far can be traced back to the beginning, is widening even now, as can be seen in the average American schools.
Extremist religious groups are becoming increasingly reclusive in their practices, and many a cults have sequestered themselves in certain areas, where they don't allow outside access. Some have even gone as far as saying that everyone, apart from members of a certain creed, is sinful and needs to be destroyed.
The current perception that US citizens have on Muslims, on account of the 9/11 incidents, is, for example, completely unfounded, for the simple fact that not many Americans know what Islam is all about, or what the basic principles of that religion are.
Creationists are trying to push the theory of God's existence into US classrooms, instead of the evolutionary one, a move that has been widely criticized country-wide. Even now, groups of people sue reverends over their presence at presidential inaugural speeches, and seek to change the oath that witnesses have to take in court, which reads “So help me God.” They say that this expression doesn't apply to all in the same way, and that it was only fit centuries ago, when everyone had the same creed.
"We can only believe in one explanation at a time. So although people can report explicitly, 'Look, I’ve been a Christian all my life, and yes, I also believe in science and I am a practicing chemist,' the question is, are these people really reconciling belief in God and science, or are they just believing in one thing at a time?" University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign psychologist Jesse Preston asked during an interview with LiveScience. She reported the existence of a dual belief system in most people, meaning that they only believed in one of the two opposing aspects of life, at any given time.
"To the extent that culture is the culmination of history – all our ideas, knowledge, and traditions – the opposition that grew between religion and science is a part of our culture. But it is part of the culture because the contradictions are well known, and become part of our knowledge structure. The concept of zero as a number is also part of our culture, for example. The cultural opposition we see between religion and science is not a superficial opposition like dog lovers vs. cat lovers," she concluded.