In a message dated 1/24/2004 8:32:55 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> >Literary rules of interpretation tell us to analyse objectively the >tradition and see what it means, in what context it was said, what >is the underlying background. > I appreciate the fact that Father Ivo has taken the time to express his views on the conflict between religion and science in this forum. His efforts are a discernible advance over the distortions, innuendo, name-calling and plagiarism that we have witnessed from others in the past under similar circumstances on Goanet. However, despite his best efforts he has not been successful in demonstrating to us that there is no such conflict as far as Christianity is concerned. It is plainly obvious, and can easily be shown, as my humble attempts reveal, that the Bible contains factual statements about the natural world that contradict current scientific knowledge. One cannot use verbal sophistry to cover up that fact or deflect that basic argument. That the Bible or any other religious scripture is not a scientific document does not remove the factual contradictions. Nor does the fact that metaphorical language might have been used. One cannot make a categorical claim that "Bible" or "religion" is "not in conflict with Science", and then gloss over explicit statements that reveal such a conflict. And one certainly cannot make use of 21st century hindsight to twist these facts and morph them into strained conformity with science to hide the blatant contradiction and the prescientific ignorance. Jacob's "scientific" understanding involved the belief that one's visual experience determines the skin coloration of one's progeny. This statement is in direct conflict with genetics and developmental biology. What it tells us is plainly false. There are scores of such statements in the Bible and other religious scriptures that reveal such ignorance. It is pointless to mount an apologetic defense of them. It persuades no one besides the flock. > >Which are the values? How do you know? Science is value-free. Values >are taught by ethics and by Religion. > Values such as caring for the young, basic honesty, cleanliness, personal hygiene, saving for a rainy day, sense of family, sense of sharing, sense of community, love towards others, respect and devotion towards givers, self-sacrifice, compassion for the needy and the sick, altruism, working for the greater good, learning from experience and the experience of the elders, monogamous relationships, respect for the dead, distinction between fact and fantasy, etc. are all a part of human nature. They are a product of the process of biological evolution. Our mammalian ancestors showed the rudiments of these values. They are evident in many living primates and other mammals today. They are more fundamental than religion. There are also many other values that have emerged as a consequence of the consistent application of rational and utilitarian morality. We have come to recognize that all races and communities are equal. People are not sinners at birth. There is no original sin. We are not resigned to our fate. Nothing is pre-ordained or pre-destined. We are in charge of our life and our future. Self-righteousness is wrong. No religion or system of belief or lack of belief has privileged access to the truth. All religions are equal to each other and to the absence of religion. They are all equally relevant or irrelevant. Religion has no place in the affairs of the state, in the framing of public policy, in healthcare and in education. Women are equal to men. Homosexuals are equal to heterosexuals. There is nothing wrong with contraception. Pedophilia is wrong. War is bad. International cooperation is good. The natural environment needs to be protected. And so on and so forth. Indeed, as one might have guessed most religions have found themselves at odds with these values. For those who realize this, religion is redundant, superfluous, unnecessary fat. One could even argue that it is an impediment to ethical progress. But one also needs to recognize that for others it might be a source of strength or perhaps, the last refuge. Cheers, Santosh ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
