rationality vs. passion

People who argue science against religion turn the argument into rationality vs. passion. Even letting them get away with such a sham; Most of the people who are in favor of throwing out religion in the face of science are on unsteady scientific ground: There are no animals in nature that act out of rationality. All living creatures act of passion, out of feelings, out of desires. Ration is secondary even in human action. Repeated scientific studies have shown this. What is unique to the major religions of today is actually this: They celebrate the sublimation of passion through reason.

Islam: submit to God's will, not your own.
Christianity: turn the other cheek.
Judaism: love your neighbor as thyself.
Buddhism: do no harm.

All of those religions cropped up in response to the earlier religions/cults which were entirely ecstatic, entirely passionate. The advanced religions, the modern religions, are all based on the idea of transcending our raw emotional responses in favor of a more rational action.

Rationality cannot actually say the same for itself. People don't study science because it is the most efficient way to accomplish the development of the species, they study science because they are drawn to it, they are passionate about it. The motivational forces behind humanity have and always will be emotional. Rationality is there to process and direct these forces. Science has made no case that it is better at directing the passions of the populace than religion. Religion had (almost) nothing to do with WWII. Nothing to do with the development of the atomic bomb. With the development of almost all warfare technology.

The only difference between the two, when the dust settles, is whether or not there is a grand master plan on the outside of everything. Within the universe, there's no actual difference. Religion and Science both involve imperfect people (if one can even come up with a meaningful definition of a perfect person) applying reason and logic to their underlying motivational desires.

(i'm still watching the video: The Root of All Evil; these are my reflections thus far.. I also can't help but wondering why Richard Dawkins is soooo anti-religion, it's not rationally based of that I am sure. Not slinging mud, just analyzing a personality.)

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