Just a question from someone lost. (ritual, rejecting, eternal, spiritual)

[drukenhard]

Science is the study of things that are real, religion is the following of a story that cannot be proven.

If there is 1 god why are there so many different religions.

Because man made them, simple!

Originally Posted by evYugi

This is just a question that I found myself asking, and maybe someone can help enlighten me to a proper answer.

Why is there a conflict between science and religion? Why is it that some people reject science? I believe that God is existant, and science is merely trying to understand existance, hence, it is a tool for us to understand God. If we refuse to face, understand, and find out more about the truth in our universe, and to some extent, we even reject it, are we not blindly rejecting God's existant? Just imagine our knowledge base as a blank book, and as time pass, we are slowly trying to fill in the blank. But, with so many blank, we really can't understand the book, which is why we must continues to try to fill in those blank. Only in such way can we eventually get to a point where we can start to understand existance. Unlike God, we are not eternal. We all have a beginning and an end, and the law of thermal dynamic dictate such an existant. Which mean we only have a limited amount of time to understand God's will before it is too late.

I apologize for the incoherent ranting as I am not very eloquent with words.

Well written and Well said, It is Mad though how so many are searching for the answers to GOD, when you have Poverty, Warfare, WMD's, Corruption, but who's fault is that? I Don't blame God for that, but I do blame man to a certain degree, who says when it's right to save, destroy, liberate, protect? I spose it depends where in the World you are, what your about, who loves you, and who can search their own soul, and at the end of the day are some stones left unturned, even if another child's life depended on it?

[evYugi]

Originally Posted by A. Leaf

It is Mad though how so many are searching for the answers to GOD, when you have Poverty, Warfare, WMD's, Corruption, but who's fault is that? I Don't blame God for that, but I do blame man to a certain degree, who says when it's right to save, destroy, liberate, protect? I spose it depends where in the World you are, what your about, who loves you, and who can search their own soul, and at the end of the day are some stones left unturned, even if another child's life depended on it?

I very much agree. I think it is due to people wanting to run before they learned to walk. Instead of tryiny to solves the problems right in from of them, people push it aside, hoping for divine intervention. The question of why search for God is a very good one. If we are searching, then it mean something is lost or it does not want to be found. If there is such thing as God, then I highly doubt that God is lost, and I highly doubt that God can be found if God does not want to be found. Instead of searching for God, we should instead try to see why we are calling out for God, what cause us to call out for help, and then try to solve the problem ourselves.

And again, I would like to reiterate, science does not exist for religion, and they serve completely difference purpose. Science is the search for the truth, trying to explain the world around us through a long and tedious process of oberservation, test, retest, more observation, and then even more testing and varification. What I merely want to say is that those that are religious should not in anyway fear science, because if what they believe to be true, then science will eventually be able show that they are right. However, people must also be willing to accept that they are wrong when proven otherwise, and that there is the problem. (And remember, science is not just technology.)

What worry me most is how willing some people are to stop looking for the truth because they fear it so much. Our body of knowledge is still insignificantly small imho, but still, people already fear it. The blind leading the blind, I see no good ending to that. The truth isn't always pleasant, and sometime it is better to not know at all, but sometime no matter how much one try to avoid it, the truth will seek that person out. I really think that humanity greatest asset is our abilities to advance ourselves, and that too is our greatest tool. It help us to prepare and adapt to the many unknown. If we give up on science, are we not giving up on ourselves and our potential.

Truthfully, although I seldom admit it to anyone I know, I really do believe in God. And what I see is that since we are still here, then does that not mean God believe in us, our potential, and what we can do with it? If God believe in us, then why don't we believe in ourselves, and continue to advance ourselves? What we should worry about is how we apply our science instead of worrying about increasing our body of knowledge. To have power and not be corrupted by it is the true test imho. Will we destroy ourselves or will we surpass that? The paths to destruction is many, and the paths to salvation is few, but I really do believe that it all laid within our own hand.

I apologize for being so long winded, and with such messy and muddle writing, but English isn't my native language, and writing on a forum is much different than writing a paper.

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

>Why is there a conflict between science and religion?

In the view of the Baha'i Faith, not only is there no conflict between true science and true religion, but there CANNOT be such a thing!

Religion and science, properly viewed, are in full harmony and complement each other beautifully!

Science teaches the how of things. Religion teaches the Who and why.

Different but dovetailing roles.

(And the quickest way to get into trouble is to try to separate the two into opposing camps, or to try to use either one in the place of the other!)

So IOV, no problem whatever. :-)

Indeed, the harmony of science and religion is one of the central Baha'i tenets!

Best,

Bruce

[Runlikethewind]

Originally Posted by BruceDLimber

Greetings!

>Why is there a conflict between science and religion?

In the view of the Baha'i Faith, not only is there no conflict between true science and true religion, but there CANNOT be such a thing!

Religion and science, properly viewed, are in full harmony and complement each other beautifully!

Science teaches the how of things. Religion teaches the Who and why.

Different but dovetailing roles.

(And the quickest way to get into trouble is to try to separate the two into opposing camps, or to try to use either one in the place of the other!)

So IOV, no problem whatever. :-)

Indeed, the harmony of science and religion is one of the central Baha'i tenets!

Best,

Bruce

Well said, totally agree. Especially the part about not seperating the two or using them in place of one or the other.

[michel]

Originally Posted by evYugi

This is just a question that I found myself asking, and maybe someone can help enlighten me to a proper answer.

Why is there a conflict between science and religion?

There doesn't have to be one. People make conflicts when they try to impose their views on others, and become intollerant.

Why is it that some people reject science?

They can't very well; the whole of our lives is dependent on science.

I believe that God is existant, and science is merely trying to understand existance, hence, it is a tool for us to understand God

There, I think I disagree with you. One day, science may account for God, but it will be a sad day, as far as I am concerned.

Just imagine our knowledge base as a blank book, and as time pass, we are slowly trying to fill in the blank

Do you really need to fill in all the blanks? There are plenty of blanks in my life, but I don't need to try and fill them in; I am just glad that they are there - why my wife loves me, why our children are clever. Enjoy the blanks.

[Super Universe]

In ancient times the people looked to the priests to give them answers. "Why did a storm come and kill so many of us?" They asked and the priest had to come up with an answer. "Why did my wife and child die in childbirth?" another asked, the priest had to invent something quick.

"God is angry because of the homosexuals!" the priest shouts. Or "You did not give a proper animal sacrifice" the priest would explain.

One pope actually sentenced Galileo to death when he attempted to explain that the earth was not the center of the solar system.

Now we know what causes storms and when and where they strike. With modern medicine we now know how the body works, but the priests do not wish to update their ideas because they believe that everything in their book (bible) comes from God and refuse to accept that it is a human creation. God's signature is not on it.

There truly is no conflict between true scientific fact and the one true religion. It's impossible.

As for us having an end... being a human is just the first step.

[Runlikethewind]

Originally Posted by Super Universe

One pope actually sentenced Galileo to death when he attempted to explain that the earth was not the center of the solar system.

I find this hard to believe. Can you tell me which Pope this was and or point to the document/death warrent issued by the Pope to this effect? I know that Galileo's work was condemed and he was placed under arrest but I've never heard that he was almost executed. (and the controversy was not so much about the science as it was Galileo's insitance that the Church must change its interpretations of scripture in light of his new discoveries which had not been fully proven and where, in fact, less than acurate)

[logician]

Originally Posted by evYugi

This is just a question that I found myself asking, and maybe someone can help enlighten me to a proper answer.

Why is there a conflict between science and religion? Why is it that some people reject science? I believe that God is existant, and science is merely trying to understand existance, hence, it is a tool for us to understand God. If we refuse to face, understand, and find out more about the truth in our universe, and to some extent, we even reject it, are we not blindly rejecting God's existant? Just imagine our knowledge base as a blank book, and as time pass, we are slowly trying to fill in the blank. But, with so many blank, we really can't understand the book, which is why we must continues to try to fill in those blank. Only in such way can we eventually get to a point where we can start to understand existance. Unlike God, we are not eternal. We all have a beginning and an end, and the law of thermal dynamic dictate such an existant. Which mean we only have a limited amount of time to understand God's will before it is too late.

I apologize for the incoherent ranting as I am not very eloquent with words.

Science is the antithesis of religion, NOT a method to verify the existence of a supposed god. Religion has held back scientific discovery continually over the ages, even now it is a roadblock to important research in the field of medicine.

[Super Universe]

Originally Posted by Runlikethewind

I find this hard to believe. Can you tell me which Pope this was and or point to the document/death warrent issued by the Pope to this effect? I know that Galileo's work was condemed and he was placed under arrest but I've never heard that he was almost executed. (and the controversy was not so much about the science as it was Galileo's insitance that the Church must change its interpretations of scripture in light of his new discoveries which had not been fully proven and where, in fact, less than acurate)

Technically it was the Inquisition, certainly under Pope Urban Vlll's direction, that found Galileo guilty of heresy to which the punishment was death but because of his age and poor health it was commuted to life imprisonment at home.

The sentence was likely commuted by the direction of Pope Urban Vlll as well.

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/...2/galileo.html