Religion

Humanist_Activist

(7,670 posts)

33. Just to break it down...

Sat Mar 24, 2012, 09:11 PM

Mar 2012

The first two are subjective decisions, and only the evidence of your own life can inform on those.

The 3rd was a political decision, one in which many people still debate on, again, either subjective or arbitrary.

The fourth, on languages, is absolutely a scientific question, indeed there's a scientific field based around it, trying to figure out how, when and what the first languages and proto-languages were.

The fifth is again, arbitrary and subjective.

Only one is open to true scientific inquiry, however, science can possibly inform you on the others, at least to a limited extent. Knowing human behavior would help you pop the question without, hopefully, facing rejection. It can help inform you of your current place in the universe, so you would know where to go from there, metaphorically. The bombing is the most difficult, understanding the human costs, and possible benefits of the decision can make it more palpable, or not, depending on your view. Math can help break down the stats on who might be the best QB, though by what standard they are judged would be arbitrary.

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Seeing Is Unbelieving [View all] rug Mar 2012 OP

"...the offensive launched against religion by...." Deep13 Mar 2012 #1

I'd hate to see his review of the book that he does consider to be the worst. Jim__ Mar 2012 #2

Blah, blah, militant, blah, blah, scientism, blah longship Mar 2012 #3

I wish that what you say atheists want was true, but it's not true for all atheists. cbayer Mar 2012 #4

Who wants them destroyed? longship Mar 2012 #8

Why does one need religious institutions?? Angry Dragon Mar 2012 #18

Why does who need religious institutions? cbayer Mar 2012 #29

Your last sentence is a bit of farce Angry Dragon Mar 2012 #36

And why do some churches fight vigorously against the imposition of religion cbayer Mar 2012 #37

Your last sentence........ Angry Dragon Mar 2012 #38

There are many who feel no need whatsoever to define god. cbayer Mar 2012 #39

Do you equal atheism with scientism? tama Mar 2012 #5

"Scientism" is not a word I use longship Mar 2012 #7

Your generalizations about theists would lead me to wonder if your cbayer Mar 2012 #9

Well, tell that to the Republicans longship Mar 2012 #10

I am equally pissed off, but your tendency to generalize is polarizing. cbayer Mar 2012 #12

Thank you very much, kind sir longship Mar 2012 #13

I'm a ma'am and I am married to an atheist. cbayer Mar 2012 #15

I apologize, Madame longship Mar 2012 #17

It's not the word that matters tama Mar 2012 #11

Okay longship Mar 2012 #14

I have more confidence tama Mar 2012 #16

I am a reductionist longship Mar 2012 #19

I'm a reductionist tama Mar 2012 #20

Revolutions still build on what came before longship Mar 2012 #21

Agreed tama Mar 2012 #24

Gell-Mann tama Mar 2012 #25

Yup, re Weinberg, Gell-Mann longship Mar 2012 #28

Several problems tama Mar 2012 #30

Actually I see no problems there longship Mar 2012 #31

There's lot to pick tama Mar 2012 #32

If anybody says any of those things in this forum, Thats my opinion Mar 2012 #6

Fine, next time someone here claims skepticscott Mar 2012 #23

So, is the book's author claiming that science skepticscott Mar 2012 #22

Rosenberg does claim the label 'scientism' muriel_volestrangler Mar 2012 #26

Well, the reviewer claimed skepticscott Mar 2012 #27

Just to break it down... Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #33

Which is just a way of pointing out skepticscott Mar 2012 #34

Exactly, science helps answer questions about nature, nothing more or less.. Humanist_Activist Mar 2012 #35