(October 12, 2024 at 4:58 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:(October 11, 2024 at 10:50 pm)Paleophyte Wrote: Science relies on empirical examination, so it doesn't speak to the (non)existence of god. On the other hand, specific religious claims are testable. We know the archaeological and societal origins of most gods, and they're a pretty disreputable bunch.
Science and theism are largely antithetical:
Science begins with a question, proposes tests, and examines the evidence.
Religion begins with The Truth, ignores the evidence, prohibits examination, and forbids the question.
(Bold mine)
While true in essence, that's not always the case. There have been plenty of deeply religious scientists - Mendel, Faraday, Boyle, Newton, and so on - who made important advances in scientific knowledge. In many cases, they did so because they believed that learning how things work contributes to the greater glory of God.
Boru
True, and I've known a few good scientists who were devout as well. It just goes to show that humans are good at compartmentalizing. It's probably more accurate to say that they were brilliant scientists in spite of religion.
