Shouldn't religion be classified as 'Paranormal : fraud' along with psychics, mediums, spiritists & mystics?
I've a few highly educated friends who are 7th day adventists. Most are surgeons. The common thread through their rationalization of the two is something like: "Science (medicine) is like a maintenance manual" but we cannot create a human.
@atheists
They have secular Kabbalah texts, which would fall under the topic of "philosophy of science".
I've always said yes. For those who have only faith, they can always see science as Man's way to explain the work of God; it is provable - so it must not (cannot) go against God. This is no more than an updated way to explain the nature of things, since we have learned so much more than man could comprehend to write down two millenia ago.
I would be inclined to agree if and when the keepers of religion are willing to make the concession that admits that there was/is a wide knowledge gap between what was written in their sacred texts and what is known to be true and update their dogma accordingly. But does that actually happen? Realistically? Coherently?
The deeper I come in understanding of the knowledge that science gives us, the less I’m inclined to believe in the existence of god(s). But I’ll be the first the first to admit that it does not (and likely cannot) fully discount the existence thereof. If someone brings forth an argument that doesn't conflict with what I already know to be true, I’ll be at the very least willing to consider it. But feel free to miss me with young earth creationism, women with six arms and elephant heads, pantheons that live apart from us on mountains or alternate dimensions, but still deign to mingle with and procreate (really?) with mere mortals. I’m okay, thanks
I say no, absolutely not. Faith is suspension of understanding, and science is the search for the truth... With Christianity, from the very first chapter of the Bible, one must deny science. We know that Genesis is flat out wrong; but the faithful "know" that the sciences are all wrong. They're at odds with one another from scene one.
Religion should be classified as a mental illness
Depends on what your definition of science and scientists. There are many with little understanding of science who have a faith in scientists that borders on religiosity. And on the other hand, there are some "scientist" who are religious. Recent research revealed that the largest proportion of members of all professions who attended church were doctors. Perhaps it is because they suffer with cognitive dissonance with respect to the poor medical science they have been indoctrinated with. Or maybe just seeking absolution for the deaths they have caused by following the big Pharma ethos.
The answer is resoundingly yes, if your question concerns a person’s subjective state of mind. It’s well known that some scientists are religious. But they occupy different spaces in the mind, sort of the manic and depressive states of a manic-depressive person manifest themselves alternatively instead of simultaneously. But if your question concerns whether religion and science are in and of themselves incompatible, without regard to anyone’s state of mind, answer this: if a tree falls in a forest but no one is there, does it make a noise as it falls?
Science say yes.