Freethought & Rationalism Archive

MBR · 10-01-2002, 02:20 AM

Not that I'm lookin to join up, but are there any religions that are, or attempt to be, in accord with science and are adaptable to the new information that science creates?

Feather · 10-01-2002, 03:03 AM

Deism, possibly? I honestly can't think of others. Maybe Buddhism. Maybe. Though some of them will tell you that that's a philosophy and not a religion.

MortalWombat · 10-01-2002, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MBR:
Not that I'm lookin to join up, but are there any religions that are, or attempt to be, in accord with science and are adaptable to the new information that science creates?

I think I remember something in Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World" where the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying that if science were to disprove some particular tenet of Buddhism, then Buddhists would have to adapt.

Tom Sawyer · 10-01-2002, 09:42 AM

Quote:

I think I remember something in Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World" where the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying that if science were to disprove some particular tenet of Buddhism, then Buddhists would have to adapt.

The Dalai Lama continued, though, saying that it would be pretty hard to disprove reincarnation.

Science and religion are fairly incompatible. Both deal with a search for answers, but religion teaches that there are final answers to be had and in many cases those answers have already been given. In science, if you arrive at an answer, it's generally not all that valid unless the answer raises a number of other questions - there's no endpoint to arrive at.

Richard1366 · 10-01-2002, 11:26 AM

"Scientific Religion"

Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard one..

Stephen Maturin · 10-01-2002, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Richard1366:
Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard one..

LOL. Yep, I always thought so.

Customer: "Excuse me. Do you have any scientific religions in stock?"

Clerk: "Yes, ma'am. They're in aisle 9 right next to the round squares."

Shake · 10-01-2002, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Customer: "Excuse me. Do you have any scientific religions in stock?"

Clerk: "Yes, ma'am. They're in aisle 9 right next to the round squares."

Asst. clerk: "If they're not there, check between the jumbo shrimp and government intelligence."

Undercurrent · 10-01-2002, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MortalWombat:
I think I remember something in Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World" where the Dalai Lama was quoted as saying that if science were to disprove some particular tenet of Buddhism, then Buddhists would have to adapt.

But that could hardly be called "scientific" -- believing the tenets of your faith until explictly being given reason not to. It's just a more graceful "god (or mysticism) of the gaps".

It seems like the tenets of a "scientific religion" would be held because of positive, experimental reasons to believe.

m.

Rusting Car Bumper · 10-01-2002, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MBR:
Not that I'm lookin to join up, but are there any religions that are, or attempt to be, in accord with science and are adaptable to the new information that science creates?

Some Unitarian Universalist Churches say outright that they embrace science.

One of their statements about "sources" from which they draw says,

Quote:

Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit

And of course there is the Church of Freethought but some will argue its religion and some won't.

<a href="http://church.freethought.org" target="_blank">Church of Freethought</a>

DC

Grumpy · 10-01-2002, 01:29 PM

You mean the First Church of Christ, Scientist isn't... oh.

How about Scientology? Or <a href="http://www.neo-tech.com/zonpower/" target="_blank">Neo-Tech</a>?

Oh well. I guess it's back to pouring milk over a shrine shaped like <a href="http://www.ehtemple.com/shiva.htm" target="_blank">Charles Darwin's penis</a>. (I dare you.)

[ October 01, 2002: Message edited by: Grumpy ]

10-01-2002, 02:20 AM	#1
MBR Junior Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Trailhead Posts: 56	Scientific Religions Not that I'm lookin to join up, but are there any religions that are, or attempt to be, in accord with science and are adaptable to the new information that science creates?

10-01-2002, 01:29 PM	#10
Grumpy Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Alaska, USA Posts: 1,535	You mean the First Church of Christ, Scientist isn't... oh. How about Scientology? Or <a href="http://www.neo-tech.com/zonpower/" target="_blank">Neo-Tech</a>? Oh well. I guess it's back to pouring milk over a shrine shaped like <a href="http://www.ehtemple.com/shiva.htm" target="_blank">Charles Darwin's penis</a>. (I dare you.) [ October 01, 2002: Message edited by: Grumpy ]</p>

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10-01-2002, 03:03 AM	#2
Feather Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Gainesville, FL Posts: 1,827	Deism, possibly? I honestly can't think of others. Maybe Buddhism. Maybe. Though some of them will tell you that that's a philosophy and not a religion.

10-01-2002, 11:26 AM	#5
Richard1366 Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,260	"Scientific Religion" Now that's an oxymoron if I ever heard one..

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