In the Lab of Life is Science your only Instrument ? (571 hits)
Category: PoliticsRating: -1.08 on 22 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by John Byrne <highersound.at.gmail.com> (View user info) at 2005-06-02 14:08:23 EDT
This is a commentary on an article I recently read:
The End Of Reason
By David Morris, AlterNet. Posted March 31, 2005.
http://www.alternet.org/story/21641/
I agree with a lot of what is said in the article by David Morris. Confessedly, I am a spiritual person. To be more specific, a Christian. And, to anyone who wants even more detail, a Roman Catholic. In his terminology, I am very superstitious.
In the world I live in today the physical is as much a mystery as is the spiritual. Although the passing of ages has brought revelation in both. Science being the instrument used to uncover truth in the physical world, religion being the instrument which we use to uncover truth in the spiritual. In both regards, our knowledge is today only a fraction of what it will be centuries from now. However, I do believe we have uncovered Laws in both. Thankfully, according to my understanding of the research, these Laws do not contradict, they are interconnected. As they are all that we have, they are enough. The pursuit of answers and explanations beyond these is a noble and necessary cause, yet, let it not justify disregarding what we know to be True - to have Faith.
In my view, David Morris suffers from the same faults as those who he attacks in his article. Relying on the physical Laws of science alone will bear the same result as any Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu who relies only their spiritual Laws.
It 's your choice whether you go on to call people and institutions of faith - superstitious. In so doing I hope you agree that those who rely on science alone for their truths and laws are as equally superstitious. In this way I guess we are all a bunch of Gypsies. And a Gypsie I may be, which is OK to me. If not, I might actually whole-heartedly agree with David Morris or Justice Scalia when, as cited in the article, he so eloquently speaks for all of us Christians.
"The more Christian a country is the less likely it is to regard the death penalty as immoral," he observed. "I attribute that to the fact that, for the believing Christian, death is no big deal."
......I will pass on commenting directly to this " observation".
http://sdnrnr.blogspot.com/
User Reviews
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 16:24:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by clumeister (user info) at 2005-06-02 16:08:07 (#)
Ranking: 0
In the world I live in today the physical is as much a mystery as is the spiritual.
"I wonder Woody, what is the color of the sky in your world?"
--Frasier Crane to Woody the Bartender at Cheers
---------------------------------------------------
Who would you rather be?
A happy go lucky bafoon, with a hot, rich, wife.
Or.
An up-tight scholar, who was left at the altar and was
divorced by woman with a fore-head second only to a Klingon warrior.
No brainer for me.
Submitted by clumeister (user info) at 2005-06-02 16:08:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
In the world I live in today the physical is as much a mystery as is the spiritual.
"I wonder Woody, what is the color of the sky in your world?"
--Frasier Crane to Woody the Bartender at Cheers
Submitted by speeddaimon (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:53:40 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Not sure what religion has to do with the death penalty. I am not religious, and I think we should kill every mother fucker on death row. Fuck it, give me a gun, I'll do it.
also
Fuck you.
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:52:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:36:39 (#)
Ranking: 0
"religion being the instrument which we use to uncover truth in the spiritual."
I disagree, both metaphysically and epistemologically with this statement.
GOOD Point. Religion is only one instrument, philosophy an obvious other. My bad.
"In both regards, our knowledge is today only a fraction of what it will be centuries from now."
Not if the fundies kill us all first.
TRUE, fandamentalist are a sense of deep concern, but what of the lac rats at Pfizer, or perhaps
that mad scientist in North Korea who is doing funny things to stem cells.
"The pursuit of answers and explanations beyond these is a noble and necessary cause, yet, let it not justify disregarding what we know to be True - to have Faith."
What? We know it is true to have faith? Umm... no.
I am trying to encourage others to apply in action what they believe to be true, and to put aside any doubts of a desirable outcome with faith.
"In my view, David Morris suffers from the same faults as those who he attacks in his article. Relying on the physical Laws of science alone will bear the same result as any Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu who relies only their spiritual Laws."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I think you misunderstand the nature of religion vs. the nature of science.
You could be right. I misunderstand a lot of things.
"In so doing I hope you agree that those who rely on science alone for their truths and laws are as equally superstitious."
Umm... no.
Cmon' physical laws have evolved. Science has made some seriously mistakes over the years.
Submitted by Dead_0hi0_Sky (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:41:17 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
if this post was written in aremaic(sp?), i would've shit a live turtle.
Submitted by simple_catalyst (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:36:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"religion being the instrument which we use to uncover truth in the spiritual."
I disagree, both metaphysically and epistemologically with this statement.
"In both regards, our knowledge is today only a fraction of what it will be centuries from now."
Not if the fundies kill us all first.
"The pursuit of answers and explanations beyond these is a noble and necessary cause, yet, let it not justify disregarding what we know to be True - to have Faith."
What? We know it is true to have faith? Umm... no.
"In my view, David Morris suffers from the same faults as those who he attacks in his article. Relying on the physical Laws of science alone will bear the same result as any Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu who relies only their spiritual Laws."
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I think you misunderstand the nature of religion vs. the nature of science.
"In so doing I hope you agree that those who rely on science alone for their truths and laws are as equally superstitious."
Umm... no.
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:26:12 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
One last follow up...
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:59:07
........guarantee of an afterlife when it's rules are followed.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Everyone has an "afterlife", no need to follow the rules.
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:19:26 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:59:07
I see...in that case I have to disagree with you on the grounds that religion is much more likely to create fanatics than science since science offers no guarantee of an afterlife when it's rules are followed.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I see your point, but science does can the offer the hope of life ever lasting, who is to say that one day, some whackjob does not come out and say "drink this" and live "forever".
Also the afterlife is not the big prize in all religions, is it?
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 15:06:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:51:22 (#)
Ranking: 0
In the world I live in today the physical is as much a mystery as is the spiritual. Although the passing of ages has brought revelation in both. Science being the instrument used to uncover truth in the physical world, religion being the instrument which we use to uncover truth in the spiritual. In both regards, our knowledge is today only a fraction of what it will be centuries from now. However, I do believe we have uncovered Laws in both
--------------------------
will you elaborate more on that last line?
---------------------------
Okay, I tried to cut some corners with this. Boss man is watching after all.
To elaborate here are a few examples.
Gravity is physical law, to which I would compare the a spiritual law that giving is receiving. There are a variety of sources that describe this in different ways. I cut the corner because, quiet honestly, its up to you to find/decide and I do not wish the focus of theis piece to one of arguing who is right/ wrong.
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:59:07 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:53:57 (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:45:27 (#)
Ranking: 0
Are you saying that the average Physicist will declare Jihad on you if you don't accept his view of the Theory of Relativity?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. I am talking about extremists not "average" people, whether this be physicist, papist, is up to you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I see...in that case I have to disagree with you on the grounds that religion is much more likely to create fanatics than science since science offers no guarantee of an afterlife when it's rules are followed.
Submitted by highersound (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:53:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:45:27 (#)
Ranking: 0
Are you saying that the average Physicist will declare Jihad on you if you don't accept his view of the Theory of Relativity?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. I am talking about extremists not "average" people, whether this be physicist, papist, is up to you.
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:51:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
In the world I live in today the physical is as much a mystery as is the spiritual. Although the passing of ages has brought revelation in both. Science being the instrument used to uncover truth in the physical world, religion being the instrument which we use to uncover truth in the spiritual. In both regards, our knowledge is today only a fraction of what it will be centuries from now. However, I do believe we have uncovered Laws in both
--------------------------
will you elaborate more on that last line?
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:45:27 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"In my view, David Morris suffers from the same faults as those who he attacks in his article. Relying on the physical Laws of science alone will bear the same result as any Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu who relies only their spiritual Laws."
Are you saying that the average Physicist will declare Jihad on you if you don't accept his view of the Theory of Relativity?
Please add arguments to back up bold statements such as these.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:43:34 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Stay on your own reservation.
I do not like poachers.
Submitted by Slighty_Obnoxious (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:43:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
you forgot to put SPT in the title!
Submitted by Sphagnum (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:39:57 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Fuck off you fundamentalist retard!
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:27:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
Here, have a 0 rating from me.
Submitted by Sassmasterr (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:25:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Just recently, in my neighborhood, there was a fire that killed 8 children and 1 adult. The press is all over this thing! It was just discovered that it was not an accident, but arson.
How does this person (who set the fire) deserve anything less than the death penalty? Life in prison on my tax dollars? I think not.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:23:44 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
"So the biblical scholars mis-translated the Hebrew word for "young woman" into the Greek word for "virgin," which was a pretty easy mistake to make, since there is only a subtle difference in the spelling. But back then it was the "virgin" that caught people's attention. It's not every day a virgin conceives and bears a son. So you keep that for a couple of hundred years, and the next thing you know, you have the Roman Catholic church." Franky Four Fingers
Submitted by Sassmasterr (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:22:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"The more Christian a country is the less likely it is to regard the death penalty as immoral," he observed. "I attribute that to the fact that, for the believing Christian, death is no big deal."
What? Christians value life...that's why the penalty for murder is so high. I believe an eye for an eye and all that jazz. How far have we come when we think a just penalty is "immoral"?
Submitted by BuckeyesTHEGAME (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:15:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
"Confessedly, I am a spiritual person. To be more specific, a Christian. And, to anyone who wants even more detail, a Roman Catholic."
---
Confessedly, I deal with kids on a daily basis. To be more specific, I'm a Catholic Priest. And, to anyone who wants even more detail, my antics make Michael Jackson blush.
Wait, what?
I didn't read any further, but fuck you and your religion, you Goddamn statue-worshiping, fish-eating, wine-drinking dipshit. +2
Submitted by swamp_donkey (user info) at 2005-06-02 14:13:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
I've got yer instrument right here, bitch.