Science and Religion
The central concern of Apollonian spirituality is the understanding that there exists not greater truth in the Cosmos than what can be observed and discovered, and that science provides the only means to gain such knowledge. At first this perspective may seem entirely atheistic, or perhaps analogous to Secular Humanism. As Apollonians, we believe that reason, logic, and creativity must be cultivated if we are to progress as a technologically advanced species--and yet, without some form of spirituality we are left empty and cold.
The Problem at Hand
Many have attempted to reconcile science and religion, some with better success than others. Often compromises are made. For example, given the scientific evidence for the Big Bang and evolution, one may argue that a "divine being", such as God, in fact caused the Big Bang and had some hand in evolution. One might also argue that God works through natural laws to cause events to unfold according to His plan. With such arguments as these, the supernatural aspect remains, but is obscured by unverifiable assertions that God is the "man behind the curtain", playing within the laws of the universe to enforce divine His will. This is an unfortunate fallacy. All valid scientific theories and models of the universe work without the need for any kind of divine and supernatural intervention. In short, there is no "God Factor". Occam's Razor, which means to "cut away" all unnecessary parts of a theory or argument, would necessarily require the removal of such extraneous complexities such as a "God Factor".
True science gives no room for theological or metaphysical compromises. Science, in its totality, is the study of all things in nature and the observable universe. There exists no provisions in science for things external to the universe, or which are otherwise unobservable. The only means by which we can create a religion that is consist with science is to create a religion that also gives no provisions for things external to the universe, or which are otherwise unobservable. Theorizing on such matters is of course permissible--after all, science theorizes on things external to the universe and other unobservable things, often using mathematical models. However, it must be understood that no proof of such things can ever be discovered and must always be considered suspect.
A Religion Without Faith
Apollonianism furthermore rejects all doctrines of faith (blind belief without proof), in much the same way that many Humanists also reject doctrines of faith. In other words, we cannot accept any statement of belief based purely on faith. "God exists because some old book says so" is only an assertion that may or may not be true--no actual proof for such a deity's existence is given. On the other hand, philosophers have long sought to construct logical arguments for the existence of God, gods, the soul, and other unobservable things, and there is certainly nothing wrong with making such attempts. In fact, Apollonians should study these arguments in great depth and detail, especially those of Plato, the Neoplatonists, and similar Greek philosophers, as they make strong arguments that are at least based on reason, rather than faith.
Without faith, however, is Apollonian spirituality truly a religion, or is it simply a philosophy or "way of life"? There is sometimes a fine line between religion and philosophy. One could argue that Zen Buddhism is closer to a philosophy than it is to religions. Yet, many who practice Zen Buddhism consider it a religion. Taoism and Confucianism also reside in the ambiguous region between philosophy and religion. Neoplatonism can likewise be viewed either as a religion (such as the Neoplatonism of Iamblichus) or as a philosophy with religious undertones, while the Hermetic writings and the Chaldaean Oracles give us a somewhat more religious and spiritual view of "Middle-Platonic" philosophy.
Is Apollonianism a Religion?
What then makes a particular philosophy, doctrine, or set of beliefs, a true religion? Some might say that only a belief in god, or gods, is required to constitute a religion. Others may argue that one also needs to believe in the transcendental nature of the soul, perform meaningful worship, adhere to a specific doctrine, and have a distinct priesthood. These later points are somewhat arguable, so if we accept only that a belief in a god or gods is required to constitute a religion, then Apollonian spirituality is a religion. Apollonianism asserts that the Cosmos is a divine, ever-evolving entity, with all sentient beings comprising the Mind of the Universe.
If we were to address the remaining points, however, Apollonianism fails in regards to having a distinct priesthood (although at some point in the future Apollonianism could have a priesthood). Apollonian spirituality also lacks a rigid belief in the transcendental nature of the soul. By this it is simply meant that Apollonianism neither asserts nor denies that the soul may exist or transcend material reality in some way. It is, once again, a point which cannot be conclusively proved or disproved. Many Neoplatonists and other philosophers have made various arguments both for and against the existence of the soul, and these arguments should be carefully read and studied by Apollonians who should then decide for themselves.
As far as having a doctrine and conducting meaningful worship are concerned, Apollonianism satisfies these points. Apollonian spirituality has a distinct set of tenets, which can be considered "doctrine", as well as suggesting a basic adherence to the Apothegms of Enlightenment. Of course, the highest doctrines for an Apollonian should always be the doctrines of science. An Apollonian may also choose to worship or pray in the manner of his or her choosing. However, such prayer and worship is generally conducted as either a means of offering one's reverence or respect toward the Cosmos, or in celebrations of events and the lives of great philosophers.
Therefore, Apollonianism is at least a spiritual or religious philosophy, if not rightfully a religion, depending on your particular definition. As a religion, Apollonianism accepts the findings of science as the highest source of truth and knowledge within our universe. Apollonianism also denies that faith (belief without proof) has any merit whatsoever, and furthermore asserts that any argument for the existence of a thing based on a lack of evidence for its non-existence are invalid. In other words, an argument that "Nessie, the Lock Ness Monster, is real because no one has proven that Nessie is not real" is completely meaningless; after all, one cannot disprove a negative statement with absolute certainty. This is the essence of skepticism--to remain cautiously doubtful in light of limited knowledge. Apollonianism is a skeptical religion, but should not be skeptical to an extreme.
Can a Religion be Compatible with Science?
Is religion truly compatible with science? It depends on the religion. While there are countless religions all with their own set beliefs, science is simply a process of rational inquiry, testing, and analysis. We can say science is compatible with religion if the religion in question has the following properties: 1) it is non-dogmatic, 2) it is not a "revealed religion", 3) it encourages rational inquiry over "blind faith", 4) it accepts myth for what it is, and 5) it does not accept supernatural explanation for phenomenon when rational, scientific explanations exist. Apollonian spirituality (along side Humanism) perfectly fits these properties. Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism also fit most, if not all, of these properties as well, although Buddhism and Taoism both have their share of dogma, supernaturalism, and some "revealed" aspects.
Unfortunately, dogmatic revealed religion with a heavy emphasis on divine interaction, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, are starkly incompatible with science no matter how much their proponents wish to fudge. Being the Word of God as revealed by God, followers of such faiths are left with the torturous reality that either science is wrong or the Word of God is wrong--and you cannot have it both ways. If science is correct then God is wrong, and the faithful of these religions cannot accept such a conclusion.
In fact, however, the so-called "Word of God" was written in their holy books by the hand of men thousands of years ago. They had little or no concept of science, and saw a world governed by supernatural forces. Naturally, they ascribed supernatural causes to explanations phenomenon. Apollonianism flatly rejects the idea of "divine revelation", and since human beings are quite fallible, then anything that human beings write are equally fallible no matter how pious or well-intended the writer may be. Apollonianism also rejects the idea that there is "one true religion"; instead there is only the Cosmos, and our grossly incomplete understanding of it. Once one accepts this, and accepts that myths are myths and facts are facts, then reconciling science and religion becomes a significantly less daunting endeavor.