Hiya all, newbie here!
Posted: 23 August 2010 02:17 AM   [ Ignore ]
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May be my mission here could be to try to bring science-nerds back to religion. If possible. I am somewhat older guy, from Europe. English is not my first language, so excuse occasional stumbling.

I took a quick glance around, and much of what I saw, seemed to be scientificist jargon, agnostic prejudices, cliches, and heavy left-brain thinking. So, I don’t expect much. I could try to explain my pet theories, why we have come to this situation…. the difficulty people face in forming identity in postmodern societies.

However, I would criticize traditional form of religion.  There has not been much freedom. There has been too much violence and abuse, so religions have become somewhat distorted. I feel that those who criticize religion (or God, for that matter..) usually fail to see this history of violence.

Why the critics of religion fail, is another matter. Perhaps they lack emotional wisdom. They don’t have enough empathy to see, what it is to live between abuse and fear. Many people blame God, expecting Him to be omnipotent ruler, and humans to be nothing. It is so easy to forget that God gave us the free will.

Some here seem to be asking for proofs. It all seems to be about physical or material proofs. We are looking for footprints, or fingerprints, or maybe we would like to prove Gods existence mathematically. This is the left-brain thinking; it has too many blind spots. Emotions, or human psychology don’t exist for left-brain. Culture, art, creativity, sometimes I even think that biology or human anatomy don’t exist for rationalist people. They seem to live in dead planet, where is no animal life, no green life, only stone, or chemical elements in periodical table. Even this seems not to be enough for science-people, they want get still more primitive, they wish to reduce existence to cosmological questions of Big Bang, and origin of Universe. But when you question them about origin of hate, love, fear, anxiety, joy, they say that its all superstition, or not essential.

I think also, that Science itself is a pseudoscience. Often scientists are dishonest. They may falsify the results. or they may have to work under pressure. Questions of ethics or moral are often pushed aside. There is always the question of money. Speaking the truth would mean ruining their career, and often scientists seem to lack right-brain wisdom. Often the questions in themselves are wrong, and science goes to wrong track, and gets stuck in conformity and conventions. Thats why I believe science can not be an answer. It is far too unreliable.

I approach these things as someone who has practiced religion all his life. For most part, I have felt religion to be too irreligious - that is, not enough religious. The fact is, that most organized religions are agnostic. They have persecuted the gnostic elements. The religious dogma is often directed against the religious experience. Behind the humble facade, religions are often anti-religions. Most of their energy has gone into persecutions, witch-hunts and inner putsch, its the sad reality, and it continues to be. People in religious groups face enormous peer-pressure, and possibility in free thinking is not given. As such, this does not prove anything for or against God. It just shows how we humans are.

I hope to discuss these questions and prove my points, as freedom of inquiry seems to be encouraged here. Do PM me, if you wish ask something.

[ Edited: 23 August 2010 02:24 AM by Tomos ]
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Posted: 23 August 2010 04:14 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]
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Tomos - 23 August 2010 02:17 AM

I think also, that Science itself is a pseudoscience. Often scientists are dishonest. They may falsify the results.

That’s quite offensive.

How many scientists do you actually know? Have you talked with them in detail about what their work is and how they go about it? If you haven’t, then I suggest you stop making these comments until you understand what you are talking about.

iF

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Posted: 23 August 2010 04:51 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]
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Tomos, I have a feeling your visit here will be brief.

Why the critics of religion fail, is another matter. Perhaps they lack emotional wisdom.

Perhaps it is because we can think for ourselves. Critical thinking involves, in part, separating emotions from decision making processes. That is true emotional wisdom.

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Posted: 23 August 2010 05:00 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]
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No, no DarronS. That’s too much left-brain thinking….  wink

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Posted: 23 August 2010 05:09 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]
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Imaginary Friend - 23 August 2010 05:00 AM

No, no DarronS. That’s too much left-brain thinking….  wink

I must not be in my right mind. LOL

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“In the beginning, God created the universe. This has made many people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.”
Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

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Posted: 23 August 2010 09:38 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]
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Welcome Tomos.  Glad to have you here and for all your statements, I hope you still learn something.  However, I think Darron is right in that your time here may be brief.

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Mriana
“Sometimes in order to see the light, you have to risk the dark.” ~ Iris Hineman (Lois Smith) The Minority Report

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Posted: 23 August 2010 11:42 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]
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Sorry, Tomos.  Your post demonstrates that you accept authority at the expense of reasoning.  You reject science but use the products of science such as the Internet and scientific discoveries concerning brain functioning.  However, you are not honest - you don’t search for truth, you declare it.  I realize you shall die unenlightened, but as long as you are happy in your beliefs that’s fine.  Please give us the respect that all humans deserve by opening your mind to at least understanding, if not agreeing with the ideas of us non-believers.

Occam

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Posted: 23 August 2010 12:43 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]
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I only have one question. What is:  left-brain thinking?  Is that like an out-of-body experience?  I do hope you’ll stick around long enough to enlighten us. Mayhaps we now have concrete evidence of cognitive dissonance being the direct result of too much religion. If only we could find a placebo…

[ Edited: 23 August 2010 12:52 PM by whynot ]
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Posted: 23 August 2010 01:06 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 8 ]
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The left hemisphere of the brain controls reason, logical thinking, 3D thinking, fact retrieval, and math.  ‘Left-brain thinking’ is logical, reason oriented thinking.  More or less.

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“I DON’T LIKE THE HIPPIES.” - April Winchell

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Posted: 23 August 2010 03:44 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 9 ]
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Hey!! we’ve got a god-bot!!!  cool grin
God-bot, for your enlightenment, society is less violent than it has ever been in the past.

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Your least favorite virtue, or nominee for the most overrated one? “Faith. Closely followed—in view of the overall shortage of time—by patience.”

Your favorite virtue? “An appreciation for irony.”
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Posted: 28 August 2010 02:42 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 10 ]
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5 days without response.  Seems Darron was right, using his left brain.

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Art is the creation of that which evokes an emotional response, leading to thoughts of the noblest kind.
W4U

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Posted: 28 August 2010 03:30 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 11 ]
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Just another religious troll hoping to annoy us.  Sorry, didn’t work.

Occam

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