RE: Do you think Science and Religion can co-exist in a society?
May 30, 2017 at 7:36 pm
(This post was last modified: May 30, 2017 at 7:58 pm by Aliza.)
(May 30, 2017 at 6:46 pm)Kernel Sohcahtoa Wrote:(May 30, 2017 at 5:30 pm)Aliza Wrote: Saying "I don't know" just sounds lazy, like we're somehow destined not to know. We're curious, and we like to know what's going on and how it all happens. We may not know how it all happens yet, but many of us like trying to figure it out. As for believing that the Torah has the answers when we don't otherwise know the science behind it, it's not really hurting anyone; it's just a religious belief. -One that doesn't happen to interfere with adherents having careers in the sciences. It answers the question for those who aren't really that interested or are too young or under educated to understand the complexities of the inner-workings of the universe. Having an answer, even if it's a very simple one, helps some people sleep at night.
After reading your post, I can see how saying "I don't know" can come off as lazy; however, for some people it is an intellectually honest answer. IMO, from a scientific perspective, trying to discover the truth of reality via the various views and beliefs that humans hold and searching for ways to make reality conform to those ways of thinking, can also come off as lazy. Hence, IMO, for some people, using an unbiased method that discovers truth as it is and can verify it via proof that exists independently of human thought patterns, is intellectually stimulating and rewarding, and the challenge of finding that truth despite the fact that it isn't fully known and understood yet, is meaningful and far from lazy.
When you're studying science, "I don't know" is appropriate, provided that you're asking the questions. But from a religious perspective, promoting a culture of "I don't know, the bible tells me so," isn't healthy or productive. -I realize that's not what Chimp3 was suggesting, but I guess I can go off on tangents sometimes. Sure, there are going to be those people who don't care. They're just trying to be a preschool teacher and pay their bills, and they're just not curious. ...But there are also people who stay awake at night pondering the deep questions and they do want the answers. Science and religion work just fine together provided that the religion doesn't stunt people's intellectual growth.
