Science vs. Religion Since the dawn of man, humans have sought to explain the many mysteries of the universe and justify our existence in it. Throughout this journey of self-understanding, numerous views of human existence have evolved and merged into a complex and abstract manifestation called religion. However, as the human race has grown and evolved, many ideas expressed by religion seem less and less plausible. Advances in science and technology have produced a new generation of human thought that has disturbed and shaken the foundations of religious ideology. Our new, scientifically grounded understanding of the universe has revealed myriad answers to age-old questions that are antithetical to the explanations offered by religion. As solid scientific evidence has emerged contrary to the prevailing religious view, open-minded believers have adjusted their beliefs accordingly, but many fundamentalists refuse to accept the scientific evidence. This is the root of the dilemma between science and religion. Many philosophers and theists have expressed their views regarding the ongoing battle between science and religion. Reconciliation between science and religion is impossible, because the claims made by religion and the evidence provided by science are extraordinarily different. The advancement of science has led many theists to compromise traditional religious beliefs in order to facilitate scientific evidence, thus demonstrating that scientific explanations of the universe are more plausible than the rationales offered by religion. A great example of this can be seen in the question of the age of planet Earth. According to religious theology, the Earth is less than ten thousand years old. However, there is a huge amount of scientific evidence showing that the Earth is many billions of years old. Many religious thinkers have responded to this evidence by arguing that the methods used to ascertain the age of the Earth are imprecise. They argue that radioactive dating; a widely accepted method for determining the age of rocks, is inaccurate because there are no rock samples of a known age available against which the method can be calibrated. However, this argument is obsolete, because the only calibration required to determine the age of a rock is the measurement of decay rates, which can be found in the laboratory at... middle of paper... with . Many theists point out that some aspects of nature are also invisible, such as gravitational fields and magnetic fields (Foster 60). However, it is not possible to draw a parallel between the invisibility of these natural phenomena and the invisibility of God, because these aspects of nature can be measured. On the other hand, it is not possible to prove the existence of God through empirical evidence. If there is scientific evidence that disproves the teachings of the Bible, then why do people believe in religion? Religion gives humanity a sense of security, a sense of individual purpose, and most importantly, it brings people together. Probably the most important aspect of any valid religion is the belief in a code of conduct, a set of moral teachings that define how people should behave towards others. Religion is one of the main ways in which a generation passes on its values ​​and morals to each subsequent generation. Religion was also seen as a way to control the masses. According to Karl Marx, "Religion is the opium of the people" (Microsoft Bookshelf CD-ROM 1998). Despite scientific arguments that question the teachings of religion, religion will always remain an institution in our society.