Sitting alongside Religion

Religion and Reason are sitting on a bench facing an ocean. What a pretty sight! They both acknowledge human fallibility, acknowledge each other and share a laugh. After a bit of chat about the weather, affairs of mutual interest, culture, ethics, society, daughter's marriage, etc, they fall silent. In a short while, one of them turns to look at the vast ocean in front, then bends down and picks up a pebble to examine it. The other turns back to look at the world, jumps up and picks a fight with a passing stranger.

Of course, not all people of faith pick fights with strangers and not all rational non-believers pick pebbles and examine it closely. But, left to themselves, science and reason do not usually result in violence. Leaving faith to itself, of course, results in Scientology. For starters, that's just one of the effects of blind faith, whatever be their origin and justification.

Alright, now that I've primed you, check this discussion at Gene Expression and Mixing Memory. Needless to say, they are much more nuanced and detailed than the pretty sight I painted above.