While I don't disagree with your premise, the same can be said the other way around about science zealotry. The arrogance and closed mindedness on that side of the fence is every bit as bad as on the religious side, and just as much based on beliefs or desired outcomes. On the dumbing down item, with the politicization of science, often pseudo-science, and the barriers to dissenting views/thought science zealots are trying to impose, i.e. global warming, it is pretty hard to throw stones at the religious side when the science side is doing the same thing.