The reason the church is afraid of Science

I can sum it up in two words.

“Revenue stream.”

As the average intelligence level of the human race increases, it becomes harder to frighten the masses into submission.

As Science brings us more and more knowledge, it becomes harder to fool the masses into believing the silly fairy tales that we call religion.

Science is making it harder and harder for church leaders to keep people “on board.” The fewer people on board, the smaller the profit margin of the church.

Pretty simple, when you really THINK about.

Two things...

1) Henry Ford said..."thinking is the HARDEST work...that is why so few do it!"

2) I am one of those...followers...of the Lord Jesus...for 35 yrs...

Where am I off?

What science am I missing?

Please enlighten OT!

Which church are you talking about. The Catholic Church isn't saying anything so I am wondering if its the other sects of the Christian Church saying this.

Well,

Science has given us pretty much all of our advancements in the last 200 years.

Religion really didn't help with any of the scientific advancements that contributed to any of the technology we use as a matter of course now.

Take Science out of the picture and we would still be living in the dark ages.

Take Religion out of the picture and we would still be enjoying the technology Science has given us.

Or maybe what we don't see is that science is actually leading us closer to God, but our perceptions of God need to change (i.e., take Him out of the box we've put Him in, or rather take our minds out of the box we've put them in).

Just a thought I've been having lately.

I'm thinking this especially in the areas of string theory, multiple dimensions, etc.

What if it's not Either-Or? What if it's And?

[edit on 10/1/08 by GirlNextDoor]

[edit on 10/1/08 by GirlNextDoor]

Thanks, I LOVE Science, too!

'Religion' is man's attempt to get to God...in all reality...

But followers of Jesus have contributed to society too...in a great way

Have you read... www.faithfacts.org...
?????

Albeit that was a very opinionated/biased OP, I'll go along with it. Religion may be way off to you, but it is pretty ignorant to compare someone's belief in a God(s) and/or afterlife, reincarnation, etc. to fairy tales.

It seems to me like you're just bashing all religion because it cannot be scientifically proven. I HIGHLY doubt that everything you believe is backed up with science. If that were the case, you wouldn't believe in UFOs (evidence is debatable but unquestionably there is no scientific proof) or government conspiricies, or anything a politician says. Everybody has their own beliefs about certain relevant issues which pertain to them and people who follow a religion have reasons, although maybe not scientific ones, for their belief. If we only believed what science has shown us we'd never get anywhere in our quest for knowledge.

Science requires faith, too. Columbus had faith to believe the world was round, Einstein had faith he could find a formula for Energy, etc. It is a belief in something "out of the box" or unconventional which leads to true discoveries in science, no? Religion requires the same general thinking, only instead of being scientifically provable, some people feel the result of truth through their belief.

Granted, science and religion differ tremendously in their methods of truth-seeking, but some religious people are just as certain there is a God as you are certain we are made up of atoms.

I also know of many religious institutions which are not all about the "revenue stream" as you put it. There are many religious institutions (and religious people for that matter) which truly care about others and work very hard to support their fellow man. You may disagree with me, but religion has no desire for money. It is the greed of those in power within the religion who twist and skew things to better fit themselves, but stereotyping all of religion is not the way to go about whatever it is you are trying to do here.

I can very well say that science is all about the "revenue stream" too. I don't believe that because you can't sum up such an enormous category into two words, but many scientists work for corporations who pay them to either
1) Only find results of research which better the corporation/company

2) Only research things which could benefit the company

or

3) Hide their research so that the company makes a profit instead of the people benefitting.

You can view it whichever way you want, but in the end you can't blame a belief for the faults of the believers.

I'd like to add this article to the discussion.

Dr. Francis Collins: Why this scientist believes in God.

I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.

Originally posted by GirlNextDoor
I'd like to add this article to the discussion.

Dr. Francis Collins: Why this scientist believes in God.

I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.

yea isnt it called scientology??

Skeptic viewers and OP,

You can’t tell me these church-sites aren’t SCIENCE-BASED can you???

If YOU choose to read…and not ignore, sir?

www.answersingenesis.org...

www.creationism.org...

www.rzim.org...

OT 'THINKING'!!!!

Originally posted by DirtyHarry
yea isnt it called scientology??

No.



Edited to add: Dr. Collins is the scientist who mapped the human genome. That wasn't obvious from my earlier post. So he's not so easy to cast-off as a nut job.

From the article:

As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God's language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God's plan.

[edit on 10/1/08 by GirlNextDoor]

[edit on 10/1/08 by GirlNextDoor]

reply to post by GirlNextDoor


GND! What a great article...thanks so much for contributing in an INTELLECTUAL way...

I doubt our 'skeptic readers' will take the time to review though...

????????

maybe I'm wrong?

OT 'SEEKING'

Originally posted by hlesterjerome
Well,

Science has given us pretty much all of our advancements in the last 200 years.

Religion really didn't help with any of the scientific advancements that contributed to any of the technology we use as a matter of course now.

Take Science out of the picture and we would still be living in the dark ages.

Take Religion out of the picture and we would still be enjoying the technology Science has given us.

I don't understand the correlation between science and religion? You cant just say science has given us advancements and religion hasn't. Thats the POINT of science. one of the other posters said it but religion is man's attempt to get to god. Its like comparing monkeys to cars there is no connection there.

Here's the post again....TRUE FAITH have given society great advances...

www.faithfacts.org...

Women...

Slaves...

Worldview...etc...

Skeptics, pls read....and deny...I DARE YOU!!!!!!!

Originally posted by hlesterjerome
I can sum it up in two words.

“Revenue stream.”

As the average intelligence level of the human race increases, it becomes harder to frighten the masses into submission.

As Science brings us more and more knowledge, it becomes harder to fool the masses into believing the silly fairy tales that we call religion.

They even went so far as to making eating fruit from the "tree of knowledge" something evil: the more we know the more free will we have. I think that is where gnostic christianity comes from.. they believed god was an oppressor and that lucifer set them free.

reply to post by riley



riley, one more time...what are you saying?

Please clarify your position..ok? please...

OT confused???

reply to post by Trustnoone1987

I agree with you, and I also don't. Yes, their goals are different, but as a believer, I can't separate them in my mind.

So, my thoughts are something along the lines of:
If there is a creator, then I am a created being. And my brain was created by a creator. Therefore the creator is bigger than (or even outside of) anything I discover, and everything I discover was first created and known by the creator. Therefore everything I discover gains me greater knowledge about the creator which in turn brings me closer to the creator.

Or something like that.

All just to say, I think science and faith work together, but the minds of most people on both sides are closed to the possibility.


And, you're welcome, OldThinker.

[edit on 10/1/08 by GirlNextDoor]

reply to post by hlesterjerome


What is up with this? The Catholic Church has continuously battled for social justice and change over the past 200 years.

It constantly supports developing countries, charitable organizations, and the like. Hugely involved in pro-life and human rights, the church continues to battle for the dignity and worth of every person.

It is not a fear religion at all!

And it does not fear science.

Science helps us to explain the universe and natural system that God gave to us. The church has adapted to the intelligence level of modern people and encourages a dualistic journey for truth: both through self, and through social experience.

But it all ties back to God.

The church is a social institution: duh, they aren't going to develop the lightbulb and utilization of Radar. Many faiths including the Catholics endorse the concept of evolution.

It does not disprove their God. It actually makes His work for the world we live in all the more

beautiful.

"The Catholic Church, while leaving to science many details about the history of life on earth, proclaims that by the light of reason the human intellect can readily and clearly discern purpose and design in the natural world, including the world of living things."

reply to post by newagent89


NA89,

Funny!!!!

Yes, you are right...

Funny, too...

OT

It hasn't been mentioned that, in my opinion at least, the point of religion is not to prove anything but to comfort. From my personal experience, true believers in a religion (and by true I mean sincere, caring, humble, loving people) are the most comfortable and content people I have ever met. Religion gives people the security and peace of mind that science simply cannot do. Knowing the universe is infinitely large and full of planets and stars does not help some as much as the hope for something better in this greedy, materialistic, selfish world.