Religion & Science

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by funkedup
How come the most successful and dominant societies were based on religous principles?

Conservatism.

[AWMac]

Because Apes don't know how to pray?

[Arfann]

Originally posted by AKIron
If religion is so hurtful to mankind as your post suggests, a better (imo) question would be why have we stuck with it for so very long?

Fear and guilt. Works every time.

[Frogm4n]

religion and facts need a restraining order on each other.

[Dowding]

Initium sapientiae timor domini.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by midnight Target
Excellent question.

Maybe for the same reason we stuck with drugs and alcohol. It feels good.

In other words, sticking with something doesn't necessarily equate to it being good for you.

OK, I kinda considered that a given, why then does it feel good? Is it natural selection that causes us to do those things that "feel good", like sex for example, to ensure survival of the species? To address your example of alcohol use, it's probably beneficial to your health when used in moderation.

[midnight Target]

Originally posted by funkedup
How come the most successful and dominant societies were based on religous principles?

Rome?

Ionian Greece?

United States?

USSR?

[Karnak]

Religion is a security blanket.  Nothing more, nothing less.

It should surprise nobody that people get angry when you seem to be taking their security blanket away from them.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by midnight Target
Rome?

Ionian Greece?

United States?

USSR?

Rome:  Hey Claudius! whos' your God?.. well, I've always been a follower of Mars.  Lasts several centuries

Greece:  Hey Pelleponiuos! whos' your God?.. well, I've always been a follower of Apollo.  Lasts several centuries

USA:  When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary...to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

227 and counting

USSR:  State declared athiesm, due to Marx's 'opiate of the masses' statement.

Lasts 80 years.

There may be something to the theory, although my personal belief is apathiestic.

Live your life doing your best to be a good man, and people will remember a good man.

Science and Religion will always be at odds, as the scientific method is based on what can be provable through repeated experiment, where faith is based upon belief in the unprovable.  

A leap of faith is by it's very nature illogical:

Logic is the base of argument.  

Therefore it is impossible to successfully argue faith.

[Syzygyone]

Originally posted by AKIron
If religion is so hurtful to mankind as your post suggests, a better (imo) question would be why have we stuck with it for so very long?

Religion is the opiate of the masses.

We haven't stuck with it as much as we have been stuck with it.

By the way, belief in God is not religion either.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by Syzygyone
Religion is the opiate of the masses.

We haven't stuck with it as much as we have been stuck with it.

By the way, belief in God is not religion either.

Folks throughout history have many times and frequently shucked oppresive leaders and/or governments with little hesitancy. I disagree that religion is something we're stuck with, that concept just isn't congruent with the first statement in this paragraph.

[Syzygyone]

Originally posted by AKIron
Folks throughout history have many times and frequently shucked oppresive leaders and/or governments with little hesitancy. I disagree that religion is something we're stuck with, that concept just isn't congruent with the first statement in this paragraph.

Historically, the "shucking" that has gone on, more often than not, I think, has been justified with religion.  Even Hitler called on God and I bet so did Ghengi s Khan, and Alexander, and Attilla the Hun, etc etc.  Historically, organized religion is accepted and used by political leaders to control civilian populations.  Religion has often been used to keep the masses in control, with the "church" closely aligned with whatever political government exists at the time.  As religions changed, and populations clashed, and religions ran into each other, they were used as justification for genocide and wars.  Even in the U.S. religious persecution played a large role in our revolution, did it not.  

Anyway, you are free to not feel stuck with religion.  I certainly don't think any less of a religious person.  That's their choice, just not mine.  But I do get a little uppitty when they try to force the religion on me and mine, be they Christians, Buddhits, or be they Islamists.

[AKIron]

Originally posted by Syzygyone
But I do get a little uppitty when they try to force the religion on me and mine, be they Christians, Buddhits, or be they Islamists.

As do most Americans including me.

[GrimCO]

I choose to believe in a God, I choose to believe in evolution to a certain extent.

However, I refuse to insult someone who is involved in an organized religion and insinuate it is a plague, even if I don't agree with it. Many of them are better men than I.

[bigsky]

last i heard opium is the opiate of the masses. and karl was the least funny of the marx brothers, so what would he know. nothing i want to laugh at.