Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

kowalskil · 2010-11-27 04:29:41

Can science and religion coexist peacefully? This is a good question to start an interesting discussion.

Ludwik Kowalski
Professor Emeritus
Montclair State University, NJ

bobbym · 2010-11-27 06:57:01

Hi kowalskil;

Welcome to the forum!

That question is ages old and I will die from old age and the answer will still be nope!

I have had several of those type discussions right here with two people. In all the cases we could not agree.
The fact is you cannot get two people to agree for long about anything. Now you might question the intelligence level of such a conversation because I was in it.
It is true I believe in the method of the cudgel or any other blunt instrument that is handy. I can assure you the other participants were intelligent.

If man were meant to have science and or religion, he would have been born as something else!

Someone told me once that giving science to humans was like handing a loaded machine gun to a 5 year old and telling him to go play.
Someone else said the trying to guide humanity with an ethical and moral framework ( religion ) was like feeding strawberries to a mule.

Humans can understand cruelty, hatred, violence, prejudice and ignorance. They can revel in it, savor it and flourish in it. Any philosophy preaching the use of one's head or heart is doomed.
The coming ideology, with the Orwellian image of a boot on the downtroddens throat is what fits.

It fits because he worships and adores pompous and gaudy authority figures. He places them above his God, above himself and calls them "Master."
He commercializes science and religion so that he can profit from it. So that he can live off of his brothers suffering.
Your question should read, "Is science or religion possible on earth while man is here?"

Calligar · 2012-10-10 19:32:54

I'd personally argue yes they can. For instance, assume it were possible that science had proved Christianity correct. Wouldn't they then coexist peacefully? (Speaking theoretically of course...)

Also, just to note that is NOT my belief nor am I saying I believe Christianity is the truth, I just mostly named the first religion that came to my head...so PLEASE don't take offense to those who aren't christian...

ShivamS · 2012-10-11 02:20:20

Frankly, no. Unless people surpass the boundaries of ethical issues which make our technology as diminutive as possible. Whenever we try to advance our lifestyle (i.e cloning), ethical issues are raised which results in the experiments being prohibited. Take stem cell research for example.

Calligar · 2012-10-11 09:34:24

Perhaps, but I'd still argue against that. You talk about unless people basically letting aside things so that our technology can advance faster, right? But that's still not arguing that that sort of thing isn't possible. Now to further argue this, there are issues in how we advance that seem to be stunted by different religions, I agree with that, but AGAIN assuming some religion were right (which I am NOT saying it is...) then it would also be possible that with some...evidence, we would be able to still work towards the "truth," which would in turn prove whichever religion correct. I could give other reasons as well, but thus far, I have been arguing only using assumptions that religion is correct, which in turn would mean if religion were not correct, then my arguments would ultimately fall apart...

So now, going with a completely different, unrelated idea, religion and science might differ a lot, but there are still some similarities they share between all of them (which I NOT give an example of all of them...). For instance, I'm going to name one thing I personally noticed science and religion have common, and that is logic (though it might not be clear...). Science is mostly derived directly from logic, and are methods of proving things are true (or from opposing view that people would argue, proving what is not true). Most religions on the other hand, already has these....rules I'll call them for now...and from these rules comes a way of being able to figure things out. If you ever put two people with the same religion and have them talk about it, you might notice that they can't completely agree with everything. No religion is understood perfectly, and therefore have things that must be figured out, yet how does one figure out what is already known? That is where these, "rules," I'm talking about take place. So ultimately, so when going into religions, you figure things out logically from what is already known.

To get to my point about this, I named one of many similarities, but working with these similarities, I would also argue that science and religion can coexist peacefully. Now, then one would argue what is logic, well that I don't completely feel like getting into because that actually starts changing the topic, but for those who generally understand logic, they should see what I'm saying. I would like to note that one could argue about rules being in science, but I am mostly just trying to keep the explanation simple, so forgive me if what I say isn't perfect.

Now then, the reason for ultimately arguing this, or mostly trying to prove that it is possible that science and religion can coexist peacefully. Though I will not lie, when I say I do find it very unlikely as well. Though, I could also argue that this is argument is futile as well, as in there is no winning side to this. Though I feel as though I already made a strong case, and I can definitely continue to argue it.

ShivamS · 2012-10-15 01:15:22

In UK, US and most EU countries, embryo and stem cell experiments are banned, other than abortion. That basically prevents biologists from furthur advancing our biotechnology.

(-infinity,infinity) · 2012-10-15 11:39:31

Religion restricts science and has shown that multiple times in history. Right now, as Shivamcoder3013 pointed out, stem cell and embryo research has been banned mainly because of the large amount of religious leaders going against it.

And I am not saying we should start stealing embryos from some mothers(in case my post led to that idea). We can just use the millions that clinics keep in the freezer.

ShivamS · 2012-10-16 09:41:36

Infinity, even if you said that, I would agree with you. As of now, our world is leading towards annihilation. The Iron Age, as the Greek's imply.

Math Is Fun Forum

#1 2010-11-27 04:29:41

Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#2 2010-11-27 06:57:01

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#3 2012-10-10 19:32:54

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#4 2012-10-11 02:20:20

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#5 2012-10-11 09:34:24

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#6 2012-10-15 01:15:22

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#7 2012-10-15 11:39:31

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

#8 2012-10-16 09:41:36

Re: Can science and religion coexist peacefully?

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