No, it doesn't have to be one or the other

[kriadydragon]

Okay, so maybe this is simply a matter of me being a lot more aware of certain issues than I used to be but I feel like there's been a steady increase of the attitude that "All religious people are superstitious idiots who think science is evil." I mean, I know the debate of science vs. religion and you either believe in science or you believe in God has been around forever, but I've always considered it one of those incredibly stupid and pointless arguments because while, yes, granted, you do have your religions who totally reject science, as usual it is not the case with every single religion out there.

My faith, for example. We don't see God as some magician who waved his hand and, poof, there was the Earth. We believe he works in natural ways just as much as mysterious ways (as a religious teacher of mine once put it, God has a Ph.d in everything). For us, science doesn't disprove anything, instead it explains a lot. There are scientists out there who believe in God, and instead of their faith being diminished by science, it's increased. Speaking for myself, I adore shows that explore how the Earth might have been made, or the moon, or the galaxy, because it's so fascinating and reminds me just how awesome God's creations are. As for those bits and tiddles of science that I don't agree with... for one, I just don't worry about it. For another, come on, scientists disagree about stuff all the time, and what's fact today may be disproved by tomorrow. Thus why I don't worry about it.

So, yeah, don't give me this crap about it's either science or religion and you can't be a scientist and be religious, or that being religious stifles the need to ask questions and make discoveries. It's sort of like with that Baptist church who protests funerals - they do not represent religion and religious people as a whole. So just because someone says they're Christian don't even assume that means they reject science. And just because someone's a scientist does not automatically mean they don't believe in God.

I've been on this major "don't judge a religion by the fanatics" kick lately. Or, more accurately, "quit it with the religious-shaming" kick. I feel like anti-religious feelings (and I mean really nasty anti-religious feelings) have been sky-rocketing, lately. Then again, I feel there's been a drastic increase of having no respect for other people's opinions and beliefs, period. That it's gone from let's agree to disagree, to you don't agree with me therefore you're stupid, to you don't agree with me therefore you are evil and must be verbally ripped to shreds and shunned (something our family had a personal experience with just last month, thank you very much politics :P I won't go into it except to say that something hurtful and insulting had been said, simply because our political opinions differed from that of someone else).

Comments

[imbecamiel.livejournal.com]

Hear, hear. Religion and science are FAR from incompatible. As Galileo said - I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. Yeah, I may have issues with a few scientific theories, for multiple reasons... but plenty of atheists have issues with them as well from a purely factual standpoint, and no one can blame their lack of faith for that. As you said, scientists are constantly learning more about the world, and needing to revise long-held beliefs - it's not as if challenging some point reflects a rejection of the whole. And yet... when it comes to certain things, the sheer emotional reaction, and even refusal to consider valid contradictory information, from some people claiming to be working on pure logic and facts is... well, kind of more reflective of people shouting, "Die, heretic! How dare you commit such sacrilege!" XP I do think that part of the problem comes when some people treat science as their religion, and therefore have difficulty when someone challenges any aspect of what, for them, are deeply-held beliefs, not facts and theories always subject to further testing and modification when new discoveries are made.

And oh yes, on the "People who don't agree with me are evil and need to be crushed into silence!" tendencies. They do seem to be getting worse and worse lately. I thought "tolerance" was supposed to be such a big thing these days... but it seems what it's actually turned into is "I will tolerate you and love you if you believe in and support exactly the same things I do - but if you're one of those stupid, nasty people I deem intolerant because you disagree with me about something, then of COURSE you've lost your right to an opinion, no matter what the reasons behind it!" :/

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Yes! Exactly! If God didn't want us trying to figure out how things worked then science wouldn't exist and we wouldn't have the technology and understanding we have today. And science is by no means one hundred percent fact, because theories and discoveries are always changing.

Yeah, people talk the talk of tolerance but when they walk the walk are mostly stumbling. People don't even debate anymore, they just go right to the insults most of the time. Or jump right to having a superiority complex. In fact having debates are scary these days since you don't know what the result might be - maybe it ends harmlessly, or maybe it ends with you not only being shunned but also actively demonized and harassed. Which is sad, especially when you feel the need to speak out.