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Is science antithetical to religion?

Other than the "Big Bang Theory" where does science and scientific method conflict with Religious Doctrine?

MichaelFilson 4 Apr 15
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Remember Gallileo who studied the planets and was the first to be able to prove that the earth was NOT the center of the universe? The curial arm of the church wanted him done with, the pastoral side saved him from execution and the" iluminatis" (enlighted ones) came to be, a secret society of scientists who hid from the church of Rome. Science has no problem with religion but religion has a problem with science as the later keeps discovering.............

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Science starts with a problem and following the evidence inverstigates to discover actual truth, even if it unpleasant or unpleasant.
Religion begins with a revealed truth that cannot be contradicted and then seeks evidence to legitimise that revealed truth. Supressing contradictory evidence and the professors of such.

It is like being arrested for a crime and presumed guilty and being sentenced to death because the act of being arrested and executed proves you are guilty since innocent people are not arrested and killed.

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Generally speaking both are methods of understanding the world we live in. One is based on observation and experimentation with the results (truth) being available and reproducible to and by anyone. The other is based on tradition, anecdote, subjectivity, mythology, folklore, and faith with truth being imparted on a select few with most adherents being expected to believe without justification. The scientific method requires verification and falsification of claims. Religious doctrine tends to discourage this type of questioning. Specific examples like the one you mentioned are evolutionary biology vs creation, astrophysics vs flat earth, geologic record vs short earth history, biology vs raising of the dead and talking animals. The list goes on and isn’t limited to Abrahamic religions as I have done here.

Anyone is of course free to perform mental gymnastics in an attempt to merge the two, but as methods of understanding the world they are antithetical to each other in my opinion.

Eray Level 3 Apr 17, 2018
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I don't think science is of necessity antithetical to religion. I agree science doesn't need religion and is a more logical explanation for things in the world and the universe than religion is, but my father was a science teacher and a Catholic. He believed evolution happened, that it was God's way of creating different species as well as humans. You can believe everything you learn in science and still believe a god was behind it all.

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Science is based on facts and that is it. ONLY facts. Religion is just shit

EMC2 Level 8 Apr 16, 2018
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Yes it is. And as for areas where it conflicts, just about everywhere, certainly in areas concerning natural phenomena

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No to much antithetical: it just doesn't need it. For instance, E=MC2 stands on its own. Scientists don't need to append iot with E=MC2 (because Jesus wills it).

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The Bible says Jesus walked on water. But Science says to not sink in water you must displace more than your weight in water. So Jesus had to have huge feet in order to walk on water.

Maybe he knew where the rocks were. 🙂

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I have a good Christian friend who say's the bible can be wrong. "It is the word of God translated by mankind. Mankind has faults. Science is great as it uncovers the wonders that God has made. After all, six days..that's just bollocks!"
He is an idealist Christian, sometimes following the Church of Scotland, but throwing Catholic traits in there too.
Should I ever fall from the path of reason and take on superstition, I'd try to be like that. Afrer 40+ years, I somehow can't see that happening. Men created Gods, not the other way around

Burn the heretic !!!!!!

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I don't think most scientists see a conflict.

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Miracles, the existence of God, the virgin birth, just about everything that happened in the Old Testament - the list is endless. The biggest conflict is that science presents theories, looks at the evidence for the theory, accepts it for the moment if the evidence supports it, rejects it if the evidence doesn't support it. Religion puts forward a theory and any lack of evidence, or evidence against it is ignored.

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Religion and science are separate and not equal science never accepts theories based on faith, and as far as science is concerned religion is irrelevant.

Most believers can't accept facts that contradict their religious beliefs.

JimG Level 8 Apr 15, 2018

@TheMiddleWay So what do "most scientists" do when religious fanatics want unscientific twaddle taught as an "alternate" theory in science classes?

@TheMiddleWay I'm afraid to me that is tacit approval, because the people in you class might get your nuances, but it does not alter the fact that fanatics can legitimately claim their lies are being taught as science/truth in educational establishments, thus legitimising their bullshit.
Would you teach demonology in a premed class as an "Alternate theory" to germ theory, of course not, because it would be bloody stupid, and dangerous.
Creationism is not science and so has no place in a science class, even as a controversy, and it is a poor teacher who would allow it, never mind go along with it.
I taught English as a second language, should I have taught my students to pray for the gift of tongues?
If we allow these people to redefine language to mean whatever they want it to mean, we are all lost.

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