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Religion Vs Science: Which is more reliable?

Which is more reliable?

  • Science

  • Religion

Results are only viewable after voting.
exchemist

exchemist

Veteran Member
ReluctantMathematician said:
This thread is about which is a more reliable source of knowledge. So are you here to address the question in the OP, or just defend religion?
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I have tried to address that question by pointing out it presents a false antithesis, and by giving the reasons why. That is what I am continuing to try to do.

You may not like my answer but, if you are not prepared to engage with what I am saying, it make me wonder why you chose to pose the question.
 
mikkel_the_dane

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
ReluctantMathematician said:
This thread is about which is a more reliable source of knowledge. So are you here to address the question in the OP, or just defend religion?
Click to expand...

It ends with what knowledge is and if it has limits.

Here is a test:
Someone: Religion is not as reliable as science for the term knowledge.
Me: Correct for a certain understanding of knowledge.
Someone: So you admit that science is more reliable?
Me: Yes, in one sense, but that doesn't stop me from believing in God.

That is where it ends. It is true for a certain kind of knowledge science is more reliable than religion, but that has a limit, because I can still believe in God. In fact I am doing it right now. So it seems there is something missing in what reliable means?!!
 
R

ReluctantMathematician

Member
exchemist said:
I have tried to address that question by pointing out it presents a false antithesis, and by giving the reasons why. That is what I am continuing to try to do.

You may not like my answer but, if you are not prepared to engage with what I am saying, it make me wonder why you chose to pose the question.
Click to expand...

I think it is you that doesn't like what I have to say.
 
mikkel_the_dane

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
@ReluctantMathematician
Religion Vs Science: Which is more reliable?

In what sense of reliable? And is there only one form of knowledge? Only one form of facts?

For example how reliable is science in regards to this?
https://undsci.berkeley.edu/article/0_0_0/whatisscience_12

Let me be honest: Science is the most reliable we have in regards to some aspects of the everyday world and totally unreliable for others in that you can't use science for these aspects. It is the same with religion or indeed philosophy?

So here is the question again: Religion Vs Science: Which is more reliable? And here is the most correct answer:
It depends on what aspects of the everyday world we are talking about.
 
mikkel_the_dane

mikkel_the_dane

My own religion
ReluctantMathematician said:
For example knowledge based in science is by far more reliable than making things up.
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No, because I make up the belief in God and that works for further behavior. You are looking at it now. This text is reliable and works and it is caused as a behavior from me based on my belief in God.

I have made up the belief by testing if I can believe in God. I can! I can attach values, purpose, meaning and what not to that and it makes me feel good. It works and it is reliable. I have done so for now over 2 years. The belief is made up by me and it works for me.
 
R

ReluctantMathematician

Member
mikkel_the_dane said:
No, because I make up the belief in God and that works for further behavior. You are looking at it now. This text is reliable and works and it is caused as a behavior from me based on my belief in God.

I have made up the belief by testing if I can believe in God. I can! I can attach values, purpose, meaning and what not to that and it makes me feel good. It works and it is reliable. I have done so for now over 2 years. The belief is made up by me and it works for me.
Click to expand...

Just because you want something to be true, that does not make it true. If that was the case I would be a millionaire.
 
Samael_Khan

Samael_Khan

Goosebender
gnostic said:
There are various forms of science, and it can largely be broken down into two.
  1. Natural Sciences
  2. Social Sciences
Natural Sciences can also be divided into two again, as...
  1. Physical Sciences (which encompassed a number of branches, eg physics, chemistry, Earth science & astronomy)
  2. Life Sciences (various forms of biology and biology-related fields).

Natural Sciences are considered “hard science”, which employs the Scientific Method, while Social Sciences are considered “soft science”, don’t use Scientific Method.

Social Sciences concern itself with human behavior or emotion, human cultures and human social activities.

Having said all that...



...here, I don’t think that’s really true in modern societies.

Many things that religions teach, whether through (A) spokespeople (eg priests, clerics, disciples, prophets, etc) or (B) through traditions or scriptures, may be true for when those religions started out, back then...

...but with today's societies and cultures being so complex and people being far more diverse, I seriously don't religions have adapted so well with changes...meaning they are so well-equipped and reliable with social engineering or with helping people like they used to. If religions are 1,000, 2000 or 3000 years old or more, then religious teachings can be outdated, their wisdom unuseable.

As I said before, there is Social Sciences, which have many different fields and sub-fields, and these would include psychology, behavioral studies, study of mental illnesses and so on.

These studies, like I said, are soft science, therefore finding exact are not always possible, especially when dealing with psychological/behavioral disorders or social disorders.

Religions cannot help people who have non-religious issues/problems. So it might be better seeking help and counseling from specialists.
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So whether religions are reliable in revealing what is true or are outdated isn't really what I am pointing out.

Yes, science has different divisions and also branch into the study of psychology. But science is cold so cannot interact with people on an emotional level. Even psychologists tend to have a detached impersonal approach when dealing with their patients.

On the other hand religion directly targets our wants and desires, such as giving an "answer" to whether we survive after death, and cause people to be emotionally attached to them and embrace the religion despite proof that the religion isn't true. Religions can target the emotionally vulnerable, hence why many people have joined dangerous cults. There have been many religious people who are former atheists because they embraced the religion through emotion and not rationality. Through the use of these methods it is evident that religions are much better at socially engineering people and catering to their irrational emotional desires which trump rationality in many cases. It is something which atheism has not even been able to replace.
 
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