Nothing good on TV ? Watch this instead. A classic debate on science and religion, but about as moderate as it's possible to get. Choice highlights (somewhat paraphrased) :
The greatest atrocities of the 20th century occurred in societies which had officially abolished religion... what we see is a tendency of any fundamentalism towards evil.
The people shouting against dogmatism are themselves the most dogmatic... when you set up
an ideology as the enemy, the danger is you become your enemy. In the name of freedom, you set up prison camps in Guantanamo.
Religion is dangerous... science is dangerous. Anything that is powerful has the power to do great evil.
Physics figures out the laws of nature, not where they come from.
The faith in science is based on evidence; the faith in religion is based on a complete lack of evidence.
When it comes to my religion, I can't let my experience define your lives. What I hear [from the other panel members] is a description of religion that you guys have rejected that I would reject as well. And if that's what you think religion is, then by all means, get rid of it.
The problem isn't religion, it's ignorance...
... but if you educate a thug, you have an educated thug.
Christians have almost a religious duty to support the scientific enterprise.
There's only one dogma in science, and that is that it has no dogma. Religious education should be conducted in the same way.
It doesn't matter what your religious beliefs are; the Big Bang happened. The Universe is the way it is, I don't care what you believe about it... or what you need to feel comfortable and safe, and I won't dismiss anyone's need to believe in God if it makes them better... they have to interpret the world on the basis that this happened and use it make the world a better place.
Originally shared by Jenny Winder
Science Faith and Religion
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o8xxIhMbnA
Saturday 20 September 2014
Thursday 4 September 2014
Monday 1 September 2014
Quack quack
Adventures in Pseudoscience, part 3/3
Long-winded rant about why people believe science is dogmatic despite the fact that it just isn't. Summary :
- There are lots of things science doesn't know, and we probably need to say this a bit more often.
- Most pseudoscience is simply wrong. The fact that occasionally some seemingly outlandish ideas turn out to be correct doesn't avoid the fact that most "alternative" models are at odds with pretty well-tested ideas (and, sometimes, established facts).
- Saying "it's arrogant to think such-and-such" (like, "we can't be the only intelligent life in the Universe") is wrong - evidence, not opinions, determines what's arrogant and what's not.
- Actually, it IS only a theory. Attempts to define theory as being the same as fact are completely wrong. This only serves to confuse everybody. You can't disprove facts.
- Evidence is not the same as proof. Skepticism is not the same as denial. Science is generally skeptical of new results even when it supports mainstream ideas.
- In general, the media like to say, "science proves X" while in reality this is rarely the case. Never trust new results.
- Unfortunately genuinely arrogant scientists are very popular in the media, and can give the wrong impression of the way science is done.
There, that should do it.
Long-winded rant about why people believe science is dogmatic despite the fact that it just isn't. Summary :
- There are lots of things science doesn't know, and we probably need to say this a bit more often.
- Most pseudoscience is simply wrong. The fact that occasionally some seemingly outlandish ideas turn out to be correct doesn't avoid the fact that most "alternative" models are at odds with pretty well-tested ideas (and, sometimes, established facts).
- Saying "it's arrogant to think such-and-such" (like, "we can't be the only intelligent life in the Universe") is wrong - evidence, not opinions, determines what's arrogant and what's not.
- Actually, it IS only a theory. Attempts to define theory as being the same as fact are completely wrong. This only serves to confuse everybody. You can't disprove facts.
- Evidence is not the same as proof. Skepticism is not the same as denial. Science is generally skeptical of new results even when it supports mainstream ideas.
- In general, the media like to say, "science proves X" while in reality this is rarely the case. Never trust new results.
- Unfortunately genuinely arrogant scientists are very popular in the media, and can give the wrong impression of the way science is done.
There, that should do it.
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