Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There is much in universe that is unknown and/or inexplicable, and religion often helps people to cope with difficult situations. Not all varieties of Christianity are antithetical to science, and that enables even well educated professionals to embrace the positive aspects of religion. Catholicism, for example, made peace with evolutionary theory back in the 1890s. Episcopalians and many other mainline Protestant denominations don't have a problem with evolution. It's mostly the fundamentalist Christian sects that take the Bible literally that have problems with science.
I mostly agree with this. Where I have a problem is your claim that much of the universe is unknown or inexplicable:
Many people are overconfident enough to think that if they cannot explain something, it must be inexplicable and therefore a true mystery of the paranormal. An amateur archeologist declares that because he cannot figure out how the pyramids were built, they must have been constructed by space aliens. Even those who are more reasonable at least think that if the experts cannot explain something, it must be inexplicable. Feats such as the bending of spoons, firewalking, or mental telepathy are often thought to be of a paranormal or mystical natures because most people cannot explain them. When they are explained, most people respond, "Yes, of course" or "That's obvious once you see it." Firewalking is a case in point. People speculate endlessly about supernatural powers over pain and heat, or mysterious brain chemicals that block pain and prevent burning. The simple explanation is that the capacity of light and fluffy coals to contain heat is very low, and the conductivity of heat from the light and fluffy coals to your feet is very poor. As long as you don't stand around on the coals, you will not get burned. (Think of a cake in a 450° oven. The air, the cake, and the pan are all at 450°F, but only the metal pan will burn your hand. Air has a very low heat capacity and also low conductivity, so you can put your hand in the oven long enough to touch the cake and pan. The heat capacity of the cake is a lot higher than air, but since it has low conductivity you can briefly touch it without getting burned. The metal pan has a heat capacity similar to the cake, but high conductivity too. If you touch it, you will get burned.) This is why magicians do not tell their secrets. Most of their tricks are, in principle, relatively simple (although many are extremely difficult to execute) and knowing the secret takes the magic out of the trick.
There are many genuine unsolved mysteries in the universe and it is okay to say, "We do not yet know but someday perhaps we will." The problem is that most of us find it more comforting to have certainty, even if it is premature, than to live with unsolved or unexplained mysteries.
If everyone had a chance to personally examine the "evidence" for evolution and did some critical thinking on the matter they would come up very doubtful.
Likewise if creationists would put critical thinking into their dogma they would have serious doubts.
Why is it so hard to just say, "We don't know".?
Because with regard to evolution, we actually DO know. Next.
Many people are overconfident enough to think that if they cannot explain something, it must be inexplicable and therefore a true mystery of the paranormal. An amateur archeologist declares that because he cannot figure out how the pyramids were built, they must have been constructed by space aliens. Even those who are more reasonable at least think that if the experts cannot explain something, it must be inexplicable. Feats such as the bending of spoons, firewalking, or mental telepathy are often thought to be of a paranormal or mystical natures because most people cannot explain them. When they are explained, most people respond, "Yes, of course" or "That's obvious once you see it." Firewalking is a case in point. People speculate endlessly about supernatural powers over pain and heat, or mysterious brain chemicals that block pain and prevent burning. The simple explanation is that the capacity of light and fluffy coals to contain heat is very low, and the conductivity of heat from the light and fluffy coals to your feet is very poor. As long as you don't stand around on the coals, you will not get burned. (Think of a cake in a 450° oven. The air, the cake, and the pan are all at 450°F, but only the metal pan will burn your hand. Air has a very low heat capacity and also low conductivity, so you can put your hand in the oven long enough to touch the cake and pan. The heat capacity of the cake is a lot higher than air, but since it has low conductivity you can briefly touch it without getting burned. The metal pan has a heat capacity similar to the cake, but high conductivity too. If you touch it, you will get burned.) This is why magicians do not tell their secrets. Most of their tricks are, in principle, relatively simple (although many are extremely difficult to execute) and knowing the secret takes the magic out of the trick.
There are many genuine unsolved mysteries in the universe and it is okay to say, "We do not yet know but someday perhaps we will." The problem is that most of us find it more comforting to have certainty, even if it is premature, than to live with unsolved or unexplained mysteries.
By "inexplicable" I don't necessarily mean scientifically inexplicable. I meant inexplicable in the metaphysical sense such as "why do little children die from diseases like cancer?"
By "inexplicable" I don't necessarily mean scientifically inexplicable. I meant inexplicable in the metaphysical sense such as "why do little children die from diseases like cancer?"
Why is the fact that little children die from diseases like cancer inexplicable, even metaphysically, to you? We could get into all the different medical reasons, but it all boils down to the fact that people die. Children are not immune. It is a fact of nature that life is not eternal. There are no perpetual motion machines. Even life is subject to the laws of thermodynamics.
A working light bulb was patented before Edison was even born. What does that make Edison?
Einstein (like Edison) was aware of the work and the thinking of many people before him. He merged their collective work into a unified theory, which was easier to understand than the fragments, which is all that any great inventor or discoverer or theoretician does. Of course, Einstein didn't invent algebra, nor the blackboard, nor the speed of light. He used an accumulation of pre-existing tools and resources to make a new and more useful construction, and we call that "invention", not plagiarism.
A working light bulb was patented before Edison was even born. What does that make Edison?
Einstein (like Edison) was aware of the work and the thinking of many people before him. He merged their collective work into a unified theory, which was easier to understand than the fragments, which is all that any great inventor or discoverer or theoretician does. Of course, Einstein didn't invent algebra, nor the blackboard, nor the speed of light. He used an accumulation of pre-existing tools and resources to make a new and more useful construction, and we call that "invention", not plagiarism.
Olinto De Pretto first published the E=MC2 formula, not Al Einstein.
Einstein was a patent clerk, he would get first dibs on everything
the real scientists were doing. Then his wife would help him interpret
their work. Concerning Edison, he was a hack tinkerer, but a ruthless
and unscrupulous businessman.
It's a violation of the TOS and forum rules.
I called ukrkoz on that a couple of days ago, in a different forum after several posters had gushed about how his post brought tears to their eyes.
The life and times of Darwin may be a topic for the History Forum, but his data and what he concluded from it is not.
True ^. The thread is being moved to the P&OC forum.
.
__________________
My posts as a Moderator will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS And check this out: FAQ
Moderator of Canada (and sub-fora), Illinois (and sub-fora), Indiana (and sub-fora), Caregiving, Community Chat, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Care, Games/Trivia, History, Nature, Non-romantic Relationships, Psychology, Travel, Work & Employment, Writing.
___________________________
~ Life's a gift. Don't waste it. ~
This is new to me. Just shows the value of "scientific" discoveries After *Charles Darwin published his revolutionary "On the Origin of Species" in 1859, scientists scrambled to find fossil evidence of extinct human ancestors. They sought these so-called "missing links" to fill in the gaps on the timeline of human evolution. When archaeologist Charles Dawson unearthed what he thought was a missing link in 1910, what he really found was one of the biggest hoaxes in history.
Honestly, I couldn't give a hoot what Al Einstein or Chuck Darwin
thought about God. Einstein was a plagiarist, and Darwin misrepresented
adaptation as "evolution".
As long as you've found a way to feel superior to both. What have you added to humanity's knowledge?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
