Speaking of a war between science and religion is quite common. I find that ‘war’ metaphor quite objectionable. A far better metaphor, to my mind, is to consider these two areas of human existence as ‘siblings.’ For although science and religion can be at odds with each other (what brothers and sisters don’t fight), they are bound far more tightly by their common search for truth—for investigating, understanding and articulating the awesome existence of ourselves and the world of which we all are a part. To speak of a war means we take our focus off our commonality and think in terms of an enemy.

The two fields, being part of the same family, have parallel histories. (Do note, I am using religion and science as umbrella words under which broad areas of life are included. Also, I will be using the words functionally, not normatively.)

In medieval times religion dominated learning in the university and theology was called the ‘queen of the sciences,’ which meant that all departments of scholarship were seen in light of, and subject to, theology or religion. By the middle of the twentieth century, when I was in public schools and universities, science was the new ‘queen,’ (although not given that title). What that meant was that other academic disciplines were now seen in light of, and subject to, science.

For example, when I studied introductory sociology, the first chapter of the sociology textbook was a statement on why sociology was a science. When I studied introductory psychology, the first chapter of the psychology textbook was a statement on why psychology was a science. And, years later, I received a master’s degree in the field of ‘Library Science’ (such a strange use of the word science, but its use shows the power science held). Although science continues to have a powerful hold on society and academia, science lost its role of ‘Queen’ in the university, just as religion had done so previously.

What caused the precipitous drop of science from its ‘queenship?’ I believe science mirrored its sibling, religion. Both areas became pedantic and both became harmful to human life.

Compare, for example, how religion is taught and how science is taught, especially in pre-university education. (Remember I am writing of science and religion and science functionally.)
Each subject uses a book: the Bible/confirmation book and the science textbook.
Each subject has an authority: the religion teacher and the science teacher.
Each subject teaches dogma derived from authority. The correct answer for the speed of light is 186,000,000/mps based on authority, for no middle or high school student has checked that out. Incomprehensible facts/beliefs are taught to be true: the incomprehensibility of Jesus as fully man and fully God, and the incomprehensibility of light as both wave and particle.
Each subject has exams: testing not one’s experience-knowledge but one’s memorization-knowledge of the material that is funneled into minds from the authorities of book and lecture.

There is one additional similarity.
In the hands of average teachers (and average means the large bulk of any population) each subject tends to be taught by people who personally lost, or never had, the feeling of awe and wonder of the subject, and who lost, or never had, the thrill of searching and discovering. That lack of excitement is also communicated in the classroom.

If, when young, once-a-week religious instruction is tedious, how does sitting in a classroom for a required five days a week and learning dry facts avoid tediousness?

Science, like religion, also became harmful to human life.
Everyone knows religion as a bloody affair: the Crusades, the Thirty Years’ War, the Inquisition, and the Salem trials easily come to mind. But, science, itself, has a bloody history.

It was science that carried out the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. It was science that developed the Zyklon B gas used in the Nazi ovens. It was science that developed the atomic bomb wiping out the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was science that developed the shock-and-awe over Bagdad. It is science whose efforts have led to plant, animal and environmental degradation and toxification.

The actual number of people killed by science in the twentieth century far exceeds by many times the number killed by religion during the preceding centuries, but that is due to the far larger number of people in the world and the far more effective means developed for mass killing.

The siblings, science and religion, have provided so many benefits to the human race. They both have also found a common way to take what are truly awesomely exciting fields of investigation into human experience and the world around and bore people. They have also found ways to be awesomely destructive.

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