I heard an interesting quote this weekend that I kind of liked - "Religious wars are nothing more than people fighting over who has the better imaginary friend." For some reason it came to mind as I was reading this thread.

I have always been amused at the idea that people "put their faith in science". It appears to me to be a bit of a non sequitir. I don't worship at the altar of science, but I have found that applying the scientific method to practical problems in my life has provided more effective solutions than applying the lessons of my early religious learning.

On the other hand, I find that merely knowing the "science" of something (such as why a particular person died) can provide little comfort. So maybe there is room in a rather complex world for different modes of thought. Perhaps the key is in discovering which mode is most appropriate, while leaving plenty of room for conjecture.