Scientism
This is the belief that scientific knowledge is the
only valid kind of knowledge, and that the scientific community is the
ultimate arbiter of what is true. Many people who call themselves atheists
or agnostics are believers in Scientism, as are a number of reformed Jews
and liberal Christians. From this point of view, traditional authority
and revelatory religious experiences are viewed with suspicion or even
contempt. Despite the fact that many of Scientism's followers claim to
be non-religious or even hostile to religion, Scientism's defining beliefs
themselves are not scientifically testable and must be classified as religious
beliefs. Many fundamentalist Christians believe (correctly, in my opinion)
that Scientism has replaced Christianity as the unofficial state religion.