Abrahamic
biblical roots
Historically,
the scientific
method arose in a Western culture
defined and dominated by the Abrahamic
Big Story, notably the Abrahamic biblical tradition.
For millennia people looked to the biblical scriptures for
an explanation of the natural world. Certain
astounding “unnatural” accounts,
such as the sun standing-still over Jericho as Joshua laid siege,
were accepted because they were in scripture. In general, if
it was found in
Holy Scripture it was true.
More pointedly it was believed that human
knowing could not in
any way counter what was in divine revelation. If it was in
the Bible, then it
was true, and the individual would just have to figure
out how their
senses were deceiving them. Significantly,
since the human senses could not be trusted, the
average person needed an intermediary to
interpret the Bible. This intermediary—an
anointed and ordained patriarchal male
priest or prophet—was specially
called by God to study,
interpret and so reveal the meaning
of His scriptures and laws.
In a way, over time, the scientific method took
hold as people began to assert, “I believe and trust only what
I can sense!” And
as they demanded sensate proofs, “Show me!”
They required a demonstrated
proof that directly used the five senses. It would be a proof which
did not need an intermediary to interpret. Rather, it would be a
proof which
every human could interpret, and so a notion of common
sense arose.
Scientific proof made common sense. “It just doesn’t make sense!” became
a challenge confronting those who held to the unerring character of the “super-natural” events
of the Abrahamic Big Story.
Culturally, at first, scientists had
to justify why people should trust their senses, but in
time, it became the case
that biblical Abrahamics had to justify why people should
not trust their senses.
Continue—Scientism’s use of nonhuman
models of interaction
