Quote:
Originally Posted by Mush Martin
If I was a deity sitting around the multiverse one day trying to dream
up a chosen people I think I could dream up a chosen race that was
capable of crossing the road in good order unsupervised.
look around you.
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This made my morning
I have to say I've always had big issues with most of the world's religions. This is not to say that they have not done some good too, for many offer useful moral instruction on how to be better then what we are. The problem though is many forget that those moral instructions are meant to be applied to all and not just the favored group. Then further add to that the belief that their religion is the one and only "true" religion, and therefore all others must be wrong.
The concept of there being one "true" religion is utterly absurd. Through out human history there have been countless religions that have come in and out of existence. All with followers equally ardent in their belief that theirs is the "right" religion as Christians, Muslims, etc do today. Their god(s) also told them they were right in their belief. They then further went on to the conclusion that if all other religions are wrong, then these people must be shown the "light" or killed.
I think of my aunt and uncle who are deeply Christian (Anglican), they are good and kind people, and they believe absolutely. For my entire life they have tried repeatedly to show me the "light" and the "error of my ways". We have often gotten into arguments over it, and those arguments always end in them proclaiming that they are right absolutely with absolutely nothing to back up such a claim. They believe and stick their fingers in their ears and yell loudly when anything contrary comes along.
However one could attack science as well, or rather attack the believers in science. Science for many has become a religious system. Most people do not understand the workings of science, they accept what is preached to them by the higher authorities with out examination or critical thinking. One of the keys to being a good scientist is to be skeptical of everything, from the most iron clad theories, to your own results. There is an incredible amount of bad science going on in research. Bias (personal agendas) being the biggest cause of bad science; Bias due to financial reasons, career reasons, etc which cause results to be skewed or even fabricated. These results then get preached to the masses, and believed "true" by them.
I can't count how many scientific peer reviewed papers/journals I have personally read that were completely compromised, or how many 'scientists' I have met who are so blinded by their own egos that they cannot possibly see how their theories could be false. Then there are the corporations and groups intentionally creating false research/studies to sell their products. The scientific community is swamped with this rubbish.
The biggest problem with science as a religion though, is that it offers no moral compass or guidance. Science does not elevate us as a species or make us better then we were. It only offers a possible explanation to things. This is not to say that one needs to be religious to be moral, for I am moral and I do not have a religion. But religion has often helped push people into being more moral. We are seeing with our own society, what happens when a society does not have a solid moral foundation.
Oh and by moral I mean the basics: treat others as you would like to be treated, be good to your neighbor, don't lie steal cheat, don't cause harm, don't be too greedy, etc.