A Scientific and Rational Perspective......



The conflicts between religion and science have existed and been well studied for generations, yet many people deny they exist at all.

As someone who studied religion in college, I’ve seen both sides of this. On one hand, it’s true that many people apply religion and science in different ways, meaning they don’t always conflict. But on another hand — a much bigger hand — it’s impossible to ignore the war that has been waged between science and religion throughout human history.

Jerry Coyne, who literally wrote the book on this subject in Faith Versus Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible, has a piece up at the Conversation pointing out how science and religion actually “represent incompatible ways of viewing the world.”

In contrast to the methods of science, religion adjudicates truth not empirically, but via dogma, scripture and authority — in other words, through faith, defined in Hebrews 11 as “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In science, faith without evidence is a vice, while in religion it’s a virtue. Recall what Jesus said to “doubting Thomas,” who insisted in poking his fingers into the resurrected Savior’s wounds: “Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

And yet, without supporting evidence, Americans believe a number of religious claims: 74 percent of us believe in God, 68 percent in the divinity of Jesus, 68 percent in Heaven, 57 percent in the virgin birth, and 58 percent in the Devil and Hell. Why do they think these are true? Faith.


Coyne goes on to point out that, while science works to unify all people behind testable theories, religions make completely different (and often contradictory) claims.


There are over 4,000 religions on this planet, and their “truths” are quite different. (Muslims and Jews, for instance, absolutely reject the Christian belief that Jesus was the son of God.) Indeed, new sects often arise when some believers reject what others see as true. Lutherans split over the truth of evolution, while Unitarians rejected other Protestants’ belief that Jesus was part of God. 



And while science has had success after success in understanding the universe, the “method” of using faith has led to no proof of the divine. How many gods are there? What are their natures and moral creeds? Is there an afterlife? Why is there moral and physical evil? There is no one answer to any of these questions. All is mystery, for all rests on faith. 



The “war” between science and religion, then, is a conflict about whether you have good reasons for believing what you do: whether you see faith as a vice or a virtue.


I see blind faith as a vice, and one I’d rather live without. Being able to deduce the truth through research and inquiry, however, is certainly a virtue. Instead of reconciling the two by compartmentalizing each one in our lives, we’re much better off sticking with the inevitable winner of this war: science.

SOURCE

Comments

  1. And You're too stupid to realize that hurling insults at us Republicans is a compliment!

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  2. Mr President. Your Making America Great American Again!!! In fact Your Changing the World for the good of everyone!!!

    Don't bother listening to those Creepy Progressives that hate America!

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  3. We suggest that you enroll in a remedial grammar school curriculum TRDM. It would help you in expressing yourself more professionally as well as improving your word clarity.

    Have a good day.

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    Replies
    1. Evidently you got his point. No matter how good or bad his grammar is.

      Delete
    2. Yeah, I get his point. It's the same point I've heard tRumpers make all the time. It is one that frankly is nothing short of pure BS. However, we know #MAGA gives all tRumpers a warm tingle down their legs so please feel free to engage in your delusions.

      Have a good day.

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  4. It's simply objectively wrong to claim that religion and science can somehow be reconciled with each other. Every religion makes some empirically testable claims about reality. In the case of Christianity, the Bible makes claims about the origin and age of the universe, the origin of life including humanity, a global flood, and so forth. All these claims can be, and have been, tested by scientific methods and all of them have been shown to be completely wrong. Similarly, Biblical claims about the Exodus and most of the Israelite "history" before about 600 BC have been shown by archaeology to be mythical. The Gospel stories of Jesus are full of details which are irreconcilable with the known history of the period.

    It is all just mythology. Trying to reconcile it with science is as silly as trying to reconcile the Harry Potter books or Spider-Man comics with science.

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    1. You're correct Infidel. It's all mythological.

      The existence of a god can neither be proved or disproved. For me it just seems pointless to waste much time on mythology or faith based stories. Science is the engine that drives knowledge and human progress. In some ways the point can be made that religion is the antithesis of science. Certainly in its extreme.

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    2. I can't help but make one more observation about this.

      I didn't just state an opinion that science and religion are irreconcilable. Much more importantly, I gave a reason why that opinion is correct -- the fact that religion makes claims about reality which are empirically testable, and when tested by scientific methods, all those claims fail. The recognition that an opinion by itself means nothing, and that only citing supporting evidence gives it any weight, is itself inherent in the scientific view of the world.

      To merely state the opposing opinion that science and religion are compatible, without citing any supporting evidence (which no one can, since it isn't true) is just reciting an unsupported belief -- that is, it's faith, and therefore worthless. It exemplifies the religious view of the world.

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  5. Some history we can back up with scientific fact and real evidence, some we cannot. We know many of the claims in the Bible have been proven factually wrong.

    As for stories, fables, parables, writings, especially passed down through time, they have to be defined as opinion and their varsity suspect.

    We are dealing with humans. We all know if you tell a story to one person and that person relates that story to another person and so on and so on, by the the time the story gets back to you it bares little resemblance to the original story you told.

    Throughout the centuries religious authority has similar traits. To control people's behavior and get as much money out of people as possible. All the rest is just a show and promises to obtain those goals.

    The numbers you posted about beliefs are down about 15% from what they were decades ago.

    The magic of believing is an issue written about by hundreds of authors through time. If one can focus on believing in a goal, or idea, it will change one's behavior to help achieve that goal.

    Group think is another trait well studied and understood. So is conversion and getting people to believe in something without factual evidence.

    Belief and faith are strong personal motivators. With all the wrong doing religious authority has been proven to do, people still bow to those religious authorities.

    After almost 100 years science is still proving Einstein's theories to be correct. We don't even have the technology to prove some scientific theories correct. We have yet to dig up all the history of our own Earth and we learn new things everyday. Scientific theories are being proven wrong all the time.

    There will always be a certain percentage of society that believe the Moon landing was fake. That climate change is fake, or that invisible God's in the shy are real.

    My friends who believe say I'm in for a big surprise when I die. I happen to think they are in for a bigger surprise when they die, but then, they won't be able to realize that surprise.

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  6. The Stock Market is up OVER One Thousand Points... But I guess that Obama will be taking credit for that1
    The
    S&P 500 Index rose 4.96 percent as of 4 p.m. in New York, after
    falling within two points of a bear market earlier in the session.
    The Nasdaq 100 surged 6.2 percent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 1,086 points

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your tRump cultism is exceeded only by your ignorance.

      Have a delusionally good day.

      Delete
  7. Hey Dodobyrd aka Rational Nation USSR..! Are you suffering constipation from a goose egg that you can't pass? Dr. Dervish Sanders just returned home from giving Cesar Sayoc a full rectal exam to make sure he didn't stuff bombs up his anal cavity. Perhaps you should go see him to have him yank that hard boiled goose egg out of your tail feathers. When he peeks up your rectum to yank out that hard boiled goose egg, make sure you hold your breath. If you pass wind while getting probed, you might end up splattering that goose egg into Dr. Dervish Sanders' face while he takes a close look up your anal cavity.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your abject stupidity is exceeded only by your immense childishness.

      Have a delusional tRumpian day.

      Delete
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  10. For an interesting post on 'rational and scientific perspective, we see an abundance of comments expounding the opposite.

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    3. BB Idaho, as tRump continues his slide further down that slope to a complete mental/emotional unraveling his cultists on the right seem even more childish, irrational, and unhinged. Irredeemable indeed!

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    4. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. I suggest that the Character known as Rational Nation USA should Hang it up already, your posts are getting to be very boring

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    1. You're entitled to your opinion COT. However, keep comment on topic with a modicum of value or deletion will be its fate.

      Delete
  12. Science and religion. Religion and the empirical world. Aren't they meant to coexist? I've never been afraid of science, but then my understanding of God, religion and Jesus has not been rooted in the fundamentalist views propagated in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

    Currently my little band of Christian missionaries in Mexico is working hand in hand with members of a couple of different levels of the Mexican government to build a science and discovery center in one of the poorest areas of the country. Because we know that education is the ticket to a better, more productive life. With, or without Jesus.

    Just sayin'...

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    1. You are a thoughtful and intelligent person Dave. Thank you for your comments. While I am a non believer I would thoroughly enjoy a discussion of this topic over a couple brewski.

      Delete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    Replies
    1. Either address the topic or, don't comment cause if ya don't it'll be huh bye.

      Delete
    2. SCREW YOUR TOPIC, SCREW YOU, AND SCREW YOUR LOUSY STUPID BLOG!

      I NEVER LIKED YOU, AND I STILL DON'T!

      Delete
    3. I'm perfectly content that you don't like me. In FACT, Consider it a high compliment.

      Buh Bye!!

      Delete
  15. The Beak... if you are Beaker... you don't have to come here you know? RN posted a 100% non political offering, and the usual sock puppets showed up to talk politics. All he is doing by deleting you guys who are off topic is the same think Free/Franco and AOW do when ppl post boilerplate off topic rants. At least he posts the comments for a while and sometimes even lets them stand. At the Geeez blog they've decided they can't even see divergent views on the topic of the day.

    RN... if I'm ever heading to Boston, I'll look you up for that conversation. And of course, a cold one too! have a good new year!

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    Replies
    1. He is not. the Beakerkin writes complete sentences and
      understands English. These fake folk are too ashamed to have a blogger profile and just enjoy mouthing off
      anonomously. I was banished from Geez for adding historical information on the Knights Templar...spreading hate
      was the charge. Ironic, since hate is endemic there. BTW, Dave, I think they talk funny in Boston..sort of down east Welsh. :)

      Delete
    2. Absolutely advise if you are ever in MA. I live in Western MA but if you're ever in the state let me know Dave. I would love to have lunch and a couple of brewskis with ya!

      Delete
  16. Shaw said: "Michelle Obama is America's most admired woman of 2018. Barack Obama is America's most admired man."


    Either she's got to be kidding, or shes are freaking out of her mind!

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    1. This post has NOTHING to do with ANYONE'S popularity. But, having said that Shaw is ABSOLUTELY correct with respect to the issue you so rudely interjected into this discussion.

      Former 1'st Lady Michelle Obama IS intelligent, classy, beautiful, a great role model, a caring and good person, and you're a flaming idiot IMO.

      Have a fabulous day and by ALL MEANS let the door hit you in your ass when you leave.

      Don't bother to return as you WILL be deleted.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    3. 1) This post is NOT about Michelle Obama. OT comments get deleted.

      2) Don't bother to return until you manage to extract your head from your rectum MKIA.

      Delete
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  21. Take your ignorant, childish, foolish, and generally bulls*it comments to WYD where the the Orange Turd Cultists will eat em up with great satisfaction.

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  22. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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    1. Off topic, irrelevant, and mendacious comments are immediately deleted on detection.

      Find your way back to WYD where the Orange Turd Cultists will appreciate your idiotic comments.

      Delete
  23. Cleaning up the place for the new year... great idea.

    ReplyDelete

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