'Dogma Trumps Experience'

The problem with 'Dogma Trumps Experience' is that differences in dogma must be settled by religious war as there is no other mechanism. The United States founding fathers had it right. The prohibition of state sponsored religion removed the availability of the military from religious leaders which had plagued Europe in the wars of the prior two hundred years. They are then forced to attempt other methods to settle differences in dogma.

Holding 'Dogma Trumps Experience' as dogma is the source of the conflict between religion and science. The foundation of science is 'Experience Trumps Dogma'. Knowledge is derived from and modified by experience. Religion removing experience as a basis for knowledge makes science impossible. "Scientists use observations, hypotheses, and logic to propose explanations for natural phenomena in the form of theories. Predictions from these theories that can be reproducibly tested by experiment are the basis for developing new technology." Religionists add the complete body of dogma and remove any observations, hypotheses, and logic that conflict to form theories. They also remove the need for reproducibility, as God can change his mind between experiments. This of course makes hash of science and is what is meant by 'the ends justify the means'.

There are several consequences of 'Dogma Trumps Experience' being held as dogma. One significant consequence is the schisiming of religious organizations as is evidenced by the large and ever growing number of Christian denominations. Schism is a method of resolving differences when experience can't be used and warfare isn't available.

The Catholic Church vs. Galileo is a notorious example where dogma was forced to change because of experience. Dogma must change when it conflicts with experience. The denial of this is a lie. Eventually any religious dogma conflicting with experience drives adherents away and makes the leaders a laughing stock. The leaders quietly modify the dogma to be acceptable to adherents to restore their power and control.