Is the Debate Between Science and Religion Unnecessary?

[Diogenes]

My friend Gary Conkling writes about the potential conflict between science and relgion.
Question for debate: Is there necessarily conflict between science and relgion?

People with religious beliefs often view science as anti-religious, even as an attack on religion. The tension between scientific inquiry and religious zealotry is real. Scientists focus on questions while zealots settle for answers, sometimes based on dubious evidence or misconstrued history.

There is a path through the tension. Scientists don’t have to dismiss a greater force and zealots have to rely on faith rather than crypto-facts. We could someday figure out how the universe truly works, but still never know how it came to be. The desire – and for many the desperate need – to know there is something larger out there larger than life as we know it can yield an emotional calm and an enhanced ability to deal with very real and present distress.
....
Questions are not disbelief. Probabilities are safer to cling to than facts in assessing the universe. The scientific method and faith are not incompatible.

https://garyconklinglifenotes.wordpress ... UfIEseHtLQ

Is there a religion that seeks truth, rather than declaring it?

[Runner]

I see that as a back-handed way of saying that you can't support your argument so you will just run with an insult instead. Happens all the time with those that are all too ready to preach rather than support their position.

Powerful.

Today's mainstream science and True Biblical Christianity do not coincide whatsoever.

To the point of the OP, there is endless debate between the two - for very good reason.

[brunumb]

Of course not! My brain has considered all the information that it has received and concluded that in all likelihood there are no gods. I did not make a conscious choice to not believe in gods.

What you just described would be a conscious choice.

It is my position also that most theists do not choose to believe in their God either. They are inculcated with that belief through indoctrination from the day they are born. They largely end up in the religion of their parents and their society in general. The power of cognitive dissonance helps maintain that belief and shield them from anything that offers a challenge to their belief. Peer pressure, rites and rituals further help to maintain their faith.

You don't think Atheists experience the same conditioning to believe what they believe?

And if you claim that there are many who were confronted with the same conditioning as Christians, yet chose to believe otherwise, you are still proving your position incorrect and supporting my argument instead.

You are wrong on all counts. Try choosing to believe something that your brain is convinced is not true. You can't. Given the wonderful afterlife cavorting with all my dead friends and relatives surely I would choose to be a Christian. I can't, as much as I would like to believe it's true. I was raised to believe in God and partook in all of the associated rituals. Somehow, the more I read and learned and experienced the more I found that it did not gel with reality. it was not easy letting go of the promise of eternal bliss, when when you become convinced that it is false you have no choice. People now are leaving religions in droves, not by choice, but by the conviction that what they were told is false.

[Jose Fly]

So "Runner" is yet another creationist who comes into a forum, makes grand sweeping declarations about science, ignores questions, and cherry picks which posts he responds to.

It's amazing how consistent of a pattern that is.

You mean exactly like you do?

How's that foot taste?

Seriously? How about you answer the questions I've asked you....

Do you have specific examples where scientists merely "declare" something to be true?

Do you think everyone who doesn't personally test and confirm for themselves that the earth is spherical and orbits the sun has science as their religion, even if they're Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, etc.?

Have you personally verified all the science behind computers, phones, and the internet?

Have you personally verified that the earth is spherical and orbits the sun?

[brunumb]

[Replying to Jose Fly in post #43]

I would also add, has Runner personally verified all of the claims in his chosen holy book, the Bible.

[DrNoGods]

[Replying to Runner in post #30]

I know that kind well and I don't waste much of my time with them as they never have any sincere intention of discussing/debating anything fairly and intelligently to begin with.

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[Runner]

And that still does not apply to atheism. There is no system of belief, conduct, code of ethics or philosophy. It is simply the lack of belief in any gods. That's it. I can't understand this desperate need to reduce atheism to the status of religion.

Oh, so you see Atheism, a belief system - mind you, as exalted far above all concepts of religion, ... yet ... you don't see it as a religion.

You see it as better, and greater, than all other faiths, yet you don't see it as ... a faith.

Tell me, what is Atheism, if not a belief system?

[Runner]

..

[Runner]

Please keep it civil and avoid disparaging comments about others, per the forum Rules.

Atheism is a religion.
______________

Moderator comments do not count as a strike against any posters. They only serve as an acknowledgment that a post report has been received, but has not been judged to warrant a moderator warning against a particular poster. Any challenges or replies to moderator postings should be made via Private Message to avoid derailing topics..[/color]
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[brunumb]

Oh, so you see Atheism, a belief system - mind you, as exalted far above all concepts of religion, ... yet ... you don't see it as a religion.

You see it as better, and greater, than all other faiths, yet you don't see it as ... a faith.

Tell me, what is Atheism, if not a belief system?

I don't know where you are getting all that rhetoric from. Atheism is not a belief system. It is not exalted, whatever you are getting at there. It is not better or greater than anything. It is not a faith, as there is nothing there to have faith in. It is simply not believing in the claims that there are divine beings or gods. That's it.

[Runner]

I don't know where you are getting all that rhetoric from. Atheism is not a belief system. It is not exalted, whatever you are getting at there. It is not better or greater than anything. It is not a faith, as there is nothing there to have faith in. It is simply not believing in the claims that there are divine beings or gods. That's it.

You believe that there are no gods.

Correct?

And you are clearly passionate (zealous) about that belief.

Correct?