Is it contradictory to "believe in" science?

I have a bit of a nuanced question: in my experience, most people with an interest in science (like those on r/AskScience or r/Science) are perfectly happy to say things like "I believe in science" or "I have faith in science."<br><br>But isn't it contradictory to "believe in" science? Science, at its core, is a rational way of understanding the world in which the objective truth is determined by observation, experimentation, and "proof." It is not based on faith or personal beliefs, but rather hard empirical data.<br><br>So when people say "I have faith in science," are they not contradicting the principles of science? Isn't it more accurate to say "I have faith in empirical observation, experimentation, and reason," since these are the core principles of science (as opposed to science as an institution)?<br><br>I am not trying to play with semantics. I am trying to get at a deeper philosophical point. If science is seen as an institution, or a set of people, or a set of texts (like the "consensus" or whatever), then it appears that science is just as dogmatic as any religion- namely because it requires faith.<br><br>But if science is seen as the process of using empirical data, experimentation (or observation), and reason to arrive at the truth, then it doesn't appear to be based on faith at all. It appears to be based on the objective observation of reality and the use of logic to arrive at the truth.<br><br>So when people say "I have faith in science," are they being intellectually inconsistent, or perhaps sloppy with their language? Or am I wrong- is science an institution, and thus the act of "believing" in it (or having faith in its effectiveness to arrive at the truth) is akin to having faith in any religion?<br><br>If this is the case, then I must say that I have never had a problem with religion proper, but rather the possibility that it leads to dogmatism. If science can also lead to dogmatism, then I don't see how science is *different* than religion. And this possibility should alarm the scientific community.