🚀 go-pugleaf

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Ian Staples quotes:

>  Gould points out, the whole concern of the Fundamentalists
> demonstrates their lack of understanding of religion as well as
> of science:  "No scientific theory, including evolution, can pose
> any threat to religion-for these two great tools of human understanding
> operate in complementary (not contrary) fashion in their totally
> separate realms: science as an inquiry about the factual state of
> the natural world, religion as a search for spiritual meaning and
> ethical values."
> </quoting>
>
> Cheers,  Ian S.

There is a problem with this "apartheid" approach. Neither science nor religion
has any fixed "realm".  Religion has in past cheerfully offered explanations
for observed patterns in nature, such as Design as an explanation for organic
order.  The whole concept of a "spiritual realm" probably arises from a
homunculus
theory of mind (the little man sitting in the Cartesian Theater in your head),
which
after all is an attempt, however primitive and wrong, to explain some things
about
human cognition. Science on the other hand begins to regard "spiritual meaning
and
ethical values" as fair game for study in areas such as cognitive science,
evolutionary
psychology (pace Gould) and brain research.

I think Steven Wienberg had it right in_ Dreams of a Final Theory_.  Religion
really
always meant to be a cosmological theory, in which humanity was central. But
everything
we have learned through science suggests the universe is fundamentally
"pointless"
in terms of human wishes and fears. We aren't central, our minds don't survive
death
in a spirit realm, prayer is not answered, and the universe doesn't care if we
make it
or  not.

Religion finds that view abhorrent because, well, it *is* abhorrent  to
organisms that
work the way we do.  Just more of the universe's pointlessness. Unfortunately,
it
happens to be true.

------------
Alan McGowen




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Ian Staples quotes:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>&nbsp;Gould points out, the whole concern of the
Fundamentalists
<br>demonstrates their lack of understanding of religion as well as
<br>of science:&nbsp; "No scientific theory, including evolution, can pose
<br>any threat to religion-for these two great tools of human understanding
<br>operate in complementary (not contrary) fashion in their totally
<br>separate realms: science as an inquiry about the factual state of
<br>the natural world, religion as a search for spiritual meaning and
<br>ethical values."
<br>&lt;/quoting>
<p>Cheers,&nbsp; Ian S.</blockquote>
There is a problem with this "apartheid" approach<font face="Arial,Helvetica">.
</font>Neither science nor religion
<br>has any fixed "realm".&nbsp; Religion has in past cheerfully offered
explanations
<br>for observed patterns in nature, such as Design as an explanation for
organic
<br>order.&nbsp; The whole concept of a "spiritual realm" probably arises
from a homunculus
<br>theory of mind (the little man sitting in the Cartesian Theater in
your head), which
<br>after all is an attempt, however primitive and wrong, to explain some
things about
<br>human cognition. Science on the other hand begins to regard "spiritual
meaning and
<br>ethical values" as fair game for study in areas such as cognitive science,
evolutionary
<br>psychology (pace Gould) and brain research.
<p>I&nbsp;think Steven Wienberg had it right in_ Dreams of a Final Theory_.&nbsp;
Religion really
<br>always meant to be a cosmological theory, in which humanity was central.
But everything
<br>we have learned through science suggests the universe is fundamentally
"pointless"
<br>in terms of human wishes and fears. We aren't central, our minds don't
survive death
<br>in a spirit realm, prayer is not answered, and the universe doesn't
care if we make it
<br>or&nbsp; not.
<p>Religion finds that view abhorrent because, well, it *is* abhorrent&nbsp;
to organisms that
<br>work the way we do.&nbsp; Just more of the universe's pointlessness.
Unfortunately,&nbsp; it
<br>happens to be true.
<pre>------------&nbsp;
Alan McGowen
&nbsp;

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