Reply to @zoef including the kind reply to my quest regarding science and faith
Hi @zoef - I thought it was easiest to reply to you using your own words for referance - please read to the end as we do actually agree on somethings and I am not sure you uderstood what I asked before - thanks for replying though
"For me atheism is not that you do not believe."
The Oxford dictionary ( it is regarded as a good source for understanding the English language)
"atheism
NOUN
mass noun
Disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of God or gods."
It may be you possibly intend to use a different word than Atheism? Could it be you mean 'Humanism'?
You then say:
"Faith is more then believing in a god like entity"
The Oxford dictionary defines faith as:
faith
NOUN
mass noun
1Complete trust or confidence in someone or something.
‘this restores one's faith in politicians’.
On this basis we agree - obviously faith is more than believing in God - thats the nature of the noun
You then say:
But whenever I argue with RELIGIOUS people they always come up with ideas and concepts that have been proven wrong by a scientist.
If you read my post I pointed out that the Big Bang was defined by a scientist who was a priest, Georges Lemaître
Here is the link again:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Lemaître
So are you saying that the Big Bang doesnt exist?
It is certainly seen as the prevailing belief by the majority of scientists and Christians. I don't understand why you have a problem with that?
You then say
"On one note even by a pastor or a monk or … . "
Again I think you have failed to understand the importance of this.
Gregor Mendel was the monk who fonded the study of genetics. Everything to do with this is established upon his work
He was a scientist and a monk. Richard Dawkins (he is an atheist - has cited his work in his scientific papers)
Look here is a link so you can understand
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Mendel
You then say
"
My problem with religion in this day and age that it is blind faith in something that has never proven to be right. A book based on a story about a prophet or a son of god."
Ok so you have a personal problem with religion but what on earth has that to do with the question I asked you?
I am trying to discuss science with you and fact and you keep bringing it back to God, something you say you don't believe in - please could we stay on the subject?
You then go off on a complete tangent saying
"If you would go around in this day and age and call yourself a prophet or a son of god they place you in a building with many people who think the same."
- Nowhere have I mentioned a prophet or the son of God (he was called Jesus by the way) and why on earth would they place him in a building? I am really lost with this sentence - can we bring this back to science?
You then say:
"Religion in this day is mainly based on people living 3000 - 2000 - 1400 years ago. "
That obviously can't be true - if you want to believe that then thats your right but if it were true then why would folk who do believe not agree with you - especially when you don't beleive and are not interested in any case? Can we bring this back to a discusion about science?
You then say:
"
You could call it the Facebook of their time. And now people still live their lives based on those few."
I wouldnt call it the Facebook of their time - but I am not trying to have that conversation with you, I was asking you about your views on science
But - and thank you - you then say:
"If there ideas and or philosophies would be world peace and getting along with everyone I am all for it. "
We agree 100% on this - I am all for it as well
Then you say:
"
But if 1,7 billion people of one religion believes there religion is the one and only. And everyone who does not follow needs to be exterminated (Daleks ftw) of pay huge taxes because they don’t. If you leave that religion you need to be beheaded.
"
This may or may not apply to a modern religion but it doesnt apply to Christianity.
Christianity, specifically Celtic Christianity, believes the following:
A. Eveybody is equal (no need for secular #metoo campaigns, charity scandals, pay differences between men and women, everybody is equal with no exception
B. We should look after our World and care for it - no plastic seas - pollution etc etc
C. We should love our neighbour - now a neighbour isnt of the same family - so this doesnt mean looking after other Christians - it means looking after everybody else and seeking peace
D. There isnt much on Daleks I'm afraid
The next thing you say we both also agree with, mostly:
"
A true religion should not fight for there people. A true religion (if it can exist at all) should not tell people about there god. The god should do that for them. A true god would have shown his face and tell us how we should treat his creation.
"
True Celtic Christianity does tell people about God but it does it through example. If you see a good example and it helps you then that is telling you about God.
You cannot be forced to know God nor can you be persauded to know God because 'faith' in God is a gift and as you correctly say, only God can give that gift. Not me, not a priest, just God - so you see we agree there as well
Finally you say
"
But as there is no proof what so ever. I believe in that that has been proven. SCIENCE!"
This is what I have been trying to talk about.
Here is the link to my first post which covered Science and explained why there was no problem between Science and Faith.
To put it simply - all of science is within the universe and what is known by it is based on insight into about 4% of what exists - based on matter, what we can see. so science give us insight into maybe about 0.005% of whats in the Universe (thats a scientific fact)
You have faith that the small amount of knowledge tells you everything and I am happy for you to continue to believing that - as I said you should never change your mind now you have made it up so we don't need to discuss that. What you have missed is that as science is within the universe and God is depicted as being the creator of the universe then anything in the universe is seen by people of faith as being part of the universe, including science hence so many scientific discoveries being driven due to peoples faith and desire to discover.
There is no problem there between science and religion, other than for yourself
What sort of scientist are you? (By that I mean what scientific discipline have you studied)