religion and science are incompatible, *for the most part*...
jon
May I just say, nicely perhaps... baloney.
I spend all day doing complicated large-scale mathematical analysis of
community behaviors, writing software, trying to know all the statistics that
might apply (I hate statistics, which is probably the only healthy way to use
it) and keeping up with a rapidly growing field of analysis.
I'm also a committed Christian and there's nothing incompatible about the two.
My church and lots of others around here are full of scientists and engineers
-- this is Silicon Valley, after all. Some may find that their beliefs and
their science collide, but I assure you that most don't.
The real incompatibility is between fear and science.
Nick
i agree with you about fear and science, nick.
perhaps i should clarify that i was referring to evangelical fundamentalist
religious zealots who preach hellfire and damnation, deny evolution and
translate the christian bible literally.
that IS incompatible with science, and to put it unkindly, that sort of
dogmatic religion is baloney, salami, sausage and other meat byproducts from
intestinal organs.
now, having said that, i do respect those christians who practice the
teachings of christ, but i draw the line at elevating a mortal to diety status.
he was a man, like you and i, just with a highly developed sense of morality,
in the context of his times. he was a rebel, and i believe, a commie. i have
no problem with his sermon on the mount, or the beatitudes, either. i admire
the story of him as a youngster throwing the money changers out of the temple.
it is institutional religion i abhor. i generally tolerate
congregationalists over, say southern baptist schisms, although i marched with
mlk for civil rights and those kind of political stands i approve.
there are fundamental differences in how different religions believe
humanity and the world interact. religion and politics are an extremely
volatile mix. both approach the most profound questions of existence from
different perspectives and with different agendas. unfortunately, because of
the religious right, politics has mutated into a material and spiritual debate
over issues such as aborttion, capital punishment, education, torture, justice,
race, eguality, health care, immigration, gender, sexual idenity and much, much
more. religion and state are supposed to be separate, at least in america.
i once had this discussion with r.a. lafferty and he got up and walked away.
he was devoutly catholic and i was mystified how someone so intelligent and
literate could believe in doctines like papal infalliblibility. jerry
pournelle, is also catholic, and used to be a much more progressive, but now is
way over to the opposite end of the political spectrum.
i can understand why many wealthy individuals are drawn to the religious
right, but i can not understand why so many lower class christians support bush
when they are victims of his economic policies...
i have a friend who is a cal tech graduate and is still orthodox. that i
don't understand, but we are still friends. if you are raised in a faith, you
either reject it completely, as i did, or find some way to rationalize your
faith... perhaps there is a middle ground?
jon
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