Final answer:
The belief that science would destroy religion has been present since the late 19th century, reflecting a historical conflict between rationalism and faith. However, the relationship is nuanced, with many showing respect for both perspectives and the development of science and religion now often includes finding ways to reconcile the two.
Step-by-step explanation:
The expectation that science would destroy religion, prominent since the late 19th century, reflects historical tensions between the two domains of human understanding. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Scientific Revolution established a rational view of the universe, leading to challenges against Christianity's traditional societal justifications. The Enlightenment period further deepened this divide, encouraging critical thinking and questioning of religious dogma. However, the anticipated conflict between science and religion has evolved into a more complex relationship, with debates arising about reconciling faith with empirical knowledge and a recognition that many philosophers, while interested in science, also held religious beliefs.
By the early 20th century, though there was a perceived battle between reason and science versus religion, the reality was more nuanced, with many individuals seeing value in both perspectives. Philosophers of the mid-20th century began to explore the rationality of theistic belief more robustly. Today, the narrative that science will lead to the demise of religion appears overly simplistic as both have continued to influence and interact with each other in a variety of ways, despite the disruptions and cultural struggles they have each faced.