Right now I'm really wondering if reason and faith are two sides to the same coin. I think maybe it's like General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. They seem contradictory, but scientists are searching for a way to unify them. Nobody is really saying that relativity is wrong because of quantum mechanics or vice versa.

Maybe we should do the same about faith and reason. What if there is a theory of everything that unifies them and those who fight for one or the other are both wrong? How can we know?

Quote:What if there is a theory of everything that unifies them and those who fight for one or the other are both wrong?

An invisible theory to go along with the invisible sky-daddy?

Let's see the evidence.

(March 31, 2012 at 10:27 pm)wisdom searcher Wrote: Right now I'm really wondering if reason and faith are two sides to the same coin. I think maybe it's like General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. They seem contradictory, but scientists are searching for a way to unify them. Nobody is really saying that relativity is wrong because of quantum mechanics or vice versa.

Maybe we should do the same about faith and reason. What if there is a theory of everything that unifies them and those who fight for one or the other are both wrong? How can we know?

Faith is nothing like an evidence based science. To even think so is probably a sign of severe mental illness.

faith - belief that is not based on proof / belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion

reasoning - the act or process of drawing conclusions from facts, evidence, etc.

Incompatible literally by definition.

This looks like a good place to stick this….

”Jerry Coyne” Wrote:If there’s anything I’ve learned from teaching evolution, is that resistance to evolution in America comes not from ignorance of the facts supporting the theory, but from entrenched religious belief that makes people closed to the facts. Coddling their religion won’t make them open to facts, but erasing their religion will.

A 2007 Gallup poll reported that 44% of Americans are young Earth creationists. That means that nearly half of all Americans reject science period in favor of a worldview invented by goat herders a couple thousand years ago, and here you are suggesting we search for a middle ground between their beliefs and ours.... Sorry but fuck that.

(March 31, 2012 at 10:57 pm)popeyespappy Wrote: This looks like a good place to stick this….

”Jerry Coyne” Wrote:If there’s anything I’ve learned from teaching evolution, is that resistance to evolution in America comes not from ignorance of the facts supporting the theory, but from entrenched religious belief that makes people closed to the facts. Coddling their religion won’t make them open to facts, but erasing their religion will.

A 2007 Gallup poll reported that 44% of Americans are young Earth creationists. That means that nearly half of all Americans reject science period in favor of a worldview invented by goat herders a couple thousand years ago, and here you are suggesting we search for a middle ground between their beliefs and ours.... Sorry but fuck that.

44%? Wow. I knew my countrymen were (edit-- mostly) morons, but I didn't think that so many of them believed in a young Earth.

But yes, to respond to the original post, if you believe religion to be rational, the part of your brain that deals with rational thinking is almost certainly handicapped. If it's by genetic defect or simple indoctrination, though, is impossible to say.

Reasoning actually "melts" away faith ideas. We can all agree that there are "grains of truth" hidden in mounds of supernaturalist bullshit but they only bear fruit once seperated from it.
Fact is, there are no valid theological claims unless they can be backed up with evidence. Thus, there is no connection between the processes of reason and faith. Nobody has ever demonstrated a single article of faith that can be demonstrated through reason.

I guess your point is more psychological than anything else. A simple corollary would be not the necessity of the interconnectedness of reason and faith. If all you're discovering is personal, subjective perspective and perception, you're not actually finding out anything and quite possibly reinforcing false personal perceptions, thinking that reason and faith are compatible. No Sir, they are not!

Yeah. A lot of Americans are pretty fucking stupid.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_publi.htm

There really is nothing quite as stupid as a YEC.

(April 1, 2012 at 2:17 am)Minimalist Wrote: Yeah. A lot of Americans are pretty fucking stupid.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_publi.htm

There really is nothing quite as stupid as a YEC.

But in the USA we are #1 and don't you forget young man...

Wheeeee!