One can certainly make an argument that science is a religion...or that the denial of religion can be seen as a religion.
Usually the prime defintion of religion is that it is the belief in a supernatural power that drives things.
Can the belief in the lack of such a pwoer be a religion? NOt technically, but on the flip side it IS a belief structure that defines an ethical compass (which can be an alternate definition of religion).
Religions usally give set examples of these ethics. Science and Atheism both do not support the ideas of supernatural or give an ethical compass.
One could make some argument for science since it does give procedure and rules i.e. scientific method, and can be looked apon as ethics, but not to the extant of religions, like the ten commandments or the observations of Buddha. Thus the only way I could say, as a definite, that science is like religion is they way it tries to explane the world as religion does.
Science explains the world by questioning how things work and coming up with answers based on available information and then updating those answers as more information becomes available.
Religion explains the world by strict adherence to stories of an all powerful father figure that made everything that were passed down over the ages by people that had no access to the scientific data we possess today.
faith and ethics??hwtealApril 25 2005, 23:17:47 UTC
How does not believing in a god define an ethical compass? I see no connection between the two. If believing in a god made one ethical, what the heck were the crusades and why do muslim terrrorists exist? My ethical compass is based on the idea that I don't want people to be mean to me, so I am ot mean to them. My lack of belief in a diety has no impact on that. I think that the idea that you can get your "sins" forgiven gives people an excuse to be less ethical if anything. Okay, a lack of faith could influence an ethical compass. I don't belief that there is anything after this life, so we ought to work to help each other enjoy what little time we have alive, but another atheist could just as easily decide that there is no point to life and no reason not to be an immoral bastard. A lack of faith really offers no guidance in ethics, all the less a compass.
A woman asking for my hand in marriage? Seems unlikely. Even the shacking up idea seems unlikely... But I have been a bad boy. In the past I have shacked up with a woman and I have never been married *gasp* which makes me similar to millions of other people across the country.
Comments 6
Usually the prime defintion of religion is that it is the belief in a supernatural power that drives things.
Can the belief in the lack of such a pwoer be a religion? NOt technically, but on the flip side it IS a belief structure that defines an ethical compass (which can be an alternate definition of religion).
Reply
One could make some argument for science since it does give procedure and rules i.e. scientific method, and can be looked apon as ethics, but not to the extant of religions, like the ten commandments or the observations of Buddha. Thus the only way I could say, as a definite, that science is like religion is they way it tries to explane the world as religion does.
Reply
Religion explains the world by strict adherence to stories of an all powerful father figure that made everything that were passed down over the ages by people that had no access to the scientific data we possess today.
One of these things is not like the other...
Reply
Okay, a lack of faith could influence an ethical compass. I don't belief that there is anything after this life, so we ought to work to help each other enjoy what little time we have alive, but another atheist could just as easily decide that there is no point to life and no reason not to be an immoral bastard. A lack of faith really offers no guidance in ethics, all the less a compass.
Reply
Can't anyways. They gotta ask for your hand in marriage first. Hee.
Reply
Reply
Leave a comment