If Science has no political agenda why do some individuals seek higher degrees in "Political Science"? Afterall, isn't the application of science to any subject an endeavor to better understand how something works? And, the more one learns (about the inner workings of a subject), the broader the applications to bring about change. Throughout history applied sciences have been used and abused by conflicting governments to develop everything from weaponry to germ warfare to defeat and gain control over their opposition. In like manner that the evolution of Mechanical Science sustains and advances military superiority, Quantum Physics raises the bar.
This relatively new form of mathematics has forged it's way into all aspects of life including an exclusive on bio-genetic engineering. While cloning a complete human being is a srious controversy, the re-generating of human appendages and organs can potetntially benefit us all. Here again, the deeper you dig the more you learn; the more you learn, the more you understand. The more you understand, the more you grow.
In many ways this can be called 'scientific spiritual growth. But regardless of how noble this venture might be, the negative ramifications could implode into an untimely annihilation of humakind as we now know. I say this because without secular management, science could prevail where Satan failed.
What do you think??
Comments
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Well I'm off to go ponder this. While I might not have any insightful comment to leave, you however, have left an insightful thought with me. Thank you.
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L1l, after you have invested some time in contemplation, drop me an 'im' and tell me your opinion
Joe
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Hey, nice job with this. I have to be honest that I was kind of lost in the first paragraph, but by the end it all made sense after a little re-reading. I thought that you put your thoughts down here well and helped all who read this to be able to see your point of view well. I think that science and Chrisitianity each have their place, and although neither can truly unite together on many aspects, I think that there are some parts that each can learn from the other. Although people, paticularily Christians, want to go against science, we would not be were we are today in the world without it. Anyways, good job with this, I enjoyed reading it.
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keeper, I understand why science and Christianity will never completely co-exist. But without the proper control and integrity of a Christian conscience, science will always be a threat to humankind. Hence, the opening paragraph
Joe -
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Ah, very true! That first paragraph makes a lot more sense to me now. Thanks!
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Superb Plus
I would rather have science succeed in a positive manner, for Hitler was Satan personified. You have certainly expressed your thoughts quite well and given me something to ponder. Thanks for sharing. -
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Clovis, how in the hell could anything positive advance through Hitler??
Joe -
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Nothing came out positive because of Hitler. He used scientific experiments for nefarious purposes. I have Jewish friends who survived the Holocaust, or their relatives did. Perhaps, I need to edit my statement for clarity. Thnks for pointing this out to me.
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Clovis, thanks for the edit. My mother was also a direct descendant of people who survived the horrors on Nazi Germany
Joe -
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You are welcome. I understand.
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To be honest I kind of got lost in this, but the ending I did understand quite well, and I do completely agree with you. I too think that "regenerating" appendages is a great idea, to give those who lost a piece of themselves somewhere to go about living life without the akwardness and almost a stigmatisim of a plastic appendage. I mean lets face it we all cast gazes upon us who are different, som even gawk, and we lend pitty that is probably resented.
Anyways that's all I can really say because now Im getting lost in my own thoughts.
Great, intellectual write!
Brea
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brea, while science definitely deserves it's place, all governments at some point have abused new discoveries to gain a certain power hold over their oppostion. Such has been the way of the world forever. If science was properly applied for the positive, the natural evolution humankind would be closer to world peace and not an individual government's domination
Joe -
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Thanks for summarizing it, I needed that! I understand better now!
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Wow, this is so cool! I can never sit down and split my head and type out all my thoughts, usually my head is spinning so fast I can't keep up. This is very insightful, thanks for sharing!
keep writing!
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Juliet, although some of my 'scientific" (??) background for this may seem on a very broad and questionable understanding, the end result is still the same. Without proper theological input and consideration, science in the wrong hands will deliver us all to Hell. My opinion, true, but certainly not one singularly held
Joe
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human nature and science have proven to be deadly when combined
as science is moving forward rapidly our nature has not evolved we are very primitive.
very interesting Joe
love this
God bless you my friend...
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Pisces, this is the offspring of a contest entry response to an earlier essay. But this is just the first part of a mini-series that will follow. Hopefully a few lost souls will open their minds to the truths those such as us already know
Joe
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I agree!!
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thanks Jacks----at some point science and christianity have to unite---neither can prove or disprove the other. A simple melding of the two can only advance civilization
Joe -
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*sigh*
I am starting to think this is pointless. Science and Christianity cannot unite! It is not possible to combine them, because they are totally unrelated to one another.
This is why Intelligent Design Theory is such a huge waste of time. It's totally untestable, and doesn't help us do anything but feel better about the religions some people would believe in regardless. Is God's will the reason why physical objects behave the way they do? Did God make the Big Bang (a theory, recall) happen? Did God make the animals evolve from single-celled organisms? Is the soul of Jesus Christ present in an atom? We can't know this stuff, man. We're monkeys, and there's no way to test any of it!
Christianity is based on faith in untestable truths that are assumed to be true no matter what happens. Science is based on doubting all testable ideas and assuming we know nothing. How are those compatible? -
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Morgan, It's more a matter of "won't" than "can't" that science will not combine with Christianity. But, they do share a common demominator. As I continue to expand this train of thought I hope to make that clear. The Bible tells us to seek a higher knowledge of our God and science is one of the many avenues towards that goal.
Don't 'sigh' in resignation, re-open the doors of understanding and acceptance you closed long ago
Joe -
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I think we are saying the same thing in different ways, but it seems we may be arriving at different conclusions. I really think it's important to define what we're talking about clearly and in a self-consistent way. If some guy does lots of Physics experiments and arrives at a theory like the Big Bang using the scientific method, adding god to the situation adds nothing. For that same guy to be a Christian may add something to his perspective, to his life, to his experience, but certainly not to his work, because one can't factor god into a mathematical equation designed only to describe observed results. God cannot be assigned a mathematical variable, and in order to do so, I would have to presume that I fully understand god, which I do not. Adding god to the situation therefore means I have to permit analyitical reasoning like, "Then a miracle occurs...," which would allow essentially any hypothesis to be confirmed on whatever basis the researcher likes. Whether the bang happened because god said so or not, the same stuff was observed in the experiment.
The essential scientific practice of using Ockham's Razor to assume the simplest possible explanation for what is observed thus makes it scientifically undesirable to throw god in the mix. That's not the same as undesirable in general. Did god make that stuff happen? Maybe. Who knows? Christianity says it knows, and maybe it even does, but that claim cannot be confirmed or denied by science. Science doesn't care about god, therefore, because god can't be tested, and presuming the presence of god adds nothing scientifically useful to the theory.
Using Ockham's razor guarantees that only theories that can stand up on their own without miracles (and humans can't work miracles anyway) will be admitted as plausible explanations of experimental results. If such a theory exists, and stands up to peer review, then that is a useful theory. God might have made it be true, but that's immaterial in an experiment that will arrive at the same result irrespective of why the laws of nature are the laws of nature. This is what I mean when I say Intelligent Design is a waste of time. It adds literally nothing to the Science except: 1. new rules to limit which questions we're allowed to ask because of what scripture says, and much more importantly, 2. a giant loophole in Science's only means of quality control.
Science is for description, not deep philosophical questions. When we want to ask deep philosophical questions, we need to use a discipline better suited to the task, like Theology (if we seek to confront religion in a thorough, objective way) or Metaphysics (if we'd like to be secular). If we choose to use one of those, why bother with Science? Use scientific results till your heart's content in your theological or metaphysical considerations, but don't try to call Theology and Metaphysics Science, because they are not.
The second we start calling Theology or Metaphysics Science, we get stuff like the State of Kansas legislating that Creationism must be taught along with the theory of Evolution in public school Biology classes, which is so misguided and reprehensibly arrogant, it makes my blood boil. It insults god and Science equally. Science by design has no comment on the book of Genesis, and that's well and good. It means Science respects religion, even if some scientists do not. Likewise, religion has no reason to seek to compromise the scientific method, because science is a tool, not a dogma. As you say, Science is one of our clearest windows to the glory of god. That's the very reason I'm a scientist. It's also the reason I'm a poet.
I want to stare into the face of god, notice all the countless, undeniable ways that nature is more fantastic than anything humanity could ever cook up, rejoice in the great mystery, feel that I am part of it, and give thanks to the universe for allowing me to wake up again this morning, because what an amazing gift. I choose not to believe I am able to comprehend the who and why of god out of convictions about humility and our species' historically staggering lack thereof. I have ideas that I like to imagine are meaningful. I have faith in some of those in much the same way you have faith in the Christian God. But the what, when and where of god are enough for me, because I am just a man, and in the end I must admit that however compelling my ideas may seem to me, and however much I may want to tell you they are not just my subjective truth about the universe in my head, but also our objective truth about the universe outide it, there is no escaping the fact that I can never know that. No matter what I have learned, read, thought or heard, I will always be temporary and limited in my ability to see and know. All my knowledge is built on assumption, just like Science and all other schools of Philosophy are (for Science was once known as "Natural Philosophy"), and just like all religions are (hence the need for faith). I can't see the forest from the trees, so I should be humble. It's also a great reason not to judge people.
I think Jesus would have been just fine with Science. He said the meek will inherit the Earth. Science says we know nothing. We should try to see god; tell the world how what we behold makes us feel; give thanks to whatever put us here - oh yes - and take good care we're not trying to BE god while we're at it. If life has taught me anything in my 33 years, it's that I am not in control. I am just a tiny piece of something unfathomable and huge. I will never know for sure how it all works. Knowing that brings me peace. And I have no idea what god is ... but praise god.
See what I mean? I think we're really on the same page here. The difference is in the details.
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