Taking Science on Faith
"SCIENCE, we are repeatedly told, is the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based on testable hypotheses. Religion, by contrast, is based on faith. The term “doubting Thomas” well illustrates the difference. In science, a healthy skepticism is a professional necessity, whereas in religion, having belief without evidence is regarded as a virtue..."
This is my response:
"IF I may… I totally disagree with you.
Put faith and politics together and all you’ll encounter is fanatism and cruel dictatorships. Put faith and science together and you’ll find many more Galileos inside the already dark chapters of the history of science. Put faith and economy or sociology together and you’ll find hate and religious discrimination wherever you turn to.
Faith, dear professor, is about HUMAN BEHAVIORAL INTERACTIONS and nothing else. The bible wasn’t written with the goal of explaining the origin of the universe much less the laws ruling the physical nature of THINGS. The book said to hold the “WORD OF GOD” was written (I don’t need to remain you that the verb ‘to write’ is still a human action destined to perpetuate ideas and events -possibly but not always proved to be- witnessed by other humans) to guide us into a higher level of spiritual life. MORAL, LOVE, FAMILY VALUES etc,etc. Those are the subjects of our human scriptures instead of gravitational waves or quantum mechanical laws.
If you Sr, or any other like you who share your same worries about the possibilities of being part of an existence without some sort of powerful and mystical meaning behind it, is right to let us know your fears… We will understand them since we are also humans. But if your intentions are to find evidences linking those physical principles with some higher intelligent order… I personally believe that you are wasting your time and the time of others which (I hate to say it) is much worse.
Allow me to illustrate my point with a simple-to-catch example:
Who dare to disagree about the powerful energy content of the atom?
Who dare to oppose the notion that the speed of light [under certain circumstances] is a constant in the universe?
Who have doubts about the laws of thermodynamics or those ones ruling gravity or electricity?
You ask people (humans I meant) from all over the world >chinese, iranians, americans and germans< about the legitimacy of those laws and principles based on facts and experimentations and they would ALL agree on those principles.
However you ask them about the best way to govern their own people and the best world order for every one living in this planet and you’ll find very SERIOUS DISAGREEMENTS… Am I wrong, professor?
If you go deeper into the reasons why we can’t agree on much of those important issues you’ll find FAITH probably in the top of them all. We thought that FAITH was supposed to work out the best system of co-existence among humans and we found that we were wrong again.
The problem is that FAITH, professor, was “designed” to fit the individual spiritual needs of each human being by his or her own choise. In simpler terms: “Faith is very personal” and I don’t see -with all due respect, professor- the need to introduce any of its multiple possible interpretations inside SCIENCE.
Einstein was a man of faith, but we admire him and respect him because of his scientific work -which no one denies was a great one- not because he was a jew. The fact that he believed in his God was a personal source of inspiration to him, but his theories and ideas were the result of his genius and not the result of his faith.
I am a man of faith myself but I keep that part to myself and no one else."
Respectfully
HUMANBYDEFAULT
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I'm sure many of you will disagree with my words above and I will understand it.
Believe it or not... We have evolved to a higher standard of spiritual levels on which we are capable to accept others to (actually) disagree on things.
FAITH was not interpreted to be questioned by others. Just as we don't allow others to have their sayings on decisions we take concerning our own life, FAITH was "used" by humans to impose on their own kind a set of rules and views according to humans conveniences.
Just as mathematics is said to be the language of science in general [but particularly physics as being physics THE SCIENCE OF EVERYTHING] religions are supossed to be the sacred language to convey what we feel and perceive as FAITH.
As Recent as the beginings of the XIX century, we were witnesses of how some of the internal mechanics of the atom and its structure could be explained by two different ways >>>matrix mechanics (proposed by a german scientist disciple of Neils Bohr) and by a smart equation based on wave-mechanics by a man named Schrodinger<< Different "language" agreed on same conclusions.
On the other hand, FAITH can't be represented by just one of the many existent religions found around the world as they can't agree in the existence of the same God for everyone.
Each religion sculptured the kind of God it fits and we -as human beings- gave IT the image of our own to make IT more... "humane."
There are scientist who don't workship any sort of religion but who -no doubts about it- hold a profound personal FAITH on their work and their research.
It's important not to confuse FAITH with religion. Me... personally do not believe in any particular religion as the true language of FAITH. Faith can be part of yours or not but no religion or sacred book will ever enable you (personally) to be able to feel FAITH on something you believe in.
The BIBLE was written by men of faith and that's a fact, but their own interpretation of their images will remain always a personal one not necesarily one with a universal sense of legitimacy. Other sacred books may hold the same truth as well.
Science have united us in ways no God has ever done. Humans >for the first time in history< were able to talk each other in the same language -mathematics- were able to conquer space and travel at speed no one ever believed possible.
Imagine what we will accomplish hundred years from now!
HUMANBYDEFAULT