Religious Authority an Enemy of Truth?

D wiltshire

Any person who has a decent knowledge of world history especially as reguards New Scientific understanding know that religious authorities both Christian and Pagan have done much to suppress TRUTH.

The reason for the supression is,.. it contradicts there religious teahings.

A question that begs for the asking:
How much farther would have Science advancements if religion did not fight against New understandings?

Too be fair many religious people have been good scientist, and have not let common held religious beleifs, hold them back.

If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?

Elsewhere

Look at the middle east... that should give you an idea what happens then religious fanatics take control.

Religion Stops a Thinking Mind!
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http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/forum/thread.asp?id=21215&site=3

Do you consider yourself an objective student of history? Just wondering if you recognize anything religion has contributed to human evolution that is positive or are you like many huminists that award all negative human activity to religion and all positive activity to natal human capacity?

Would be interesting to know how you apply scientific standard to you analysis.

carmel

Siddhashunyata

Note........" A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology ( in Christendom ) " by A. D. White. Two Volumes. The Dover edition(Dover Publications,Inc. ,N.Y.) was first published in 1960 . It is an unabridged and unaltered republication of the first edition that appeared in 1896. Highly recommended!

D wiltshire

Carmel,

Do you consider yourself an objective student of history?

I don't consider myself completely objective, but simply trying to learn from history.

Just wondering if you recognize anything religion has contributed to human evolution that is positive or are you like many huminists that award all negative human activity to religion and all positive activity to natal human capacity?

Religion is not bad. Religious authority on the other hand has been brought to bare all too often to suppress free thinking. Authority whether religious or secular has to be very careful not to suppress information that contradicts its cherished beliefs.
So no I don't hold to such black and white thinking that religion has not contributed anything positive. They have done much good along with much bad, but we must not forget many times they have not done good when their interest are involved.

If someone lived a trillion X longer than you, and had a billion X more reasoning ability would he come to the same conclusions as you?

Satanus

Dwilt

Right on! The greeks before christ had learned so much, both scientific and metaphysical. What we have of it is only a small portion of what was originally compiled. After christianity became the roman state religion, it systematically crushed anything of a non chritian nature. Disposession of pagan priests from their temples, book burning, sometimes whole libraries, taxes, and outlawing were some of the christian methods used w state blessings. Much of the preexisting knowledge found refuge among the arabs for centuries. As europe slowly climbed out of the dark ages, this knowledge slowly filtered into europe through means such as the returning crusaders and templars. The templars brought back arabic archatectural ideas that the templars used to build the magnificent gothic churches. As well, the templars introduced a type of capitalism. These innovations enabled europe to turn a new corner, progressing toward some enlightenment. Christian state control held back progress about one and a half milleniums.

SS

Satanus

The book A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology ( in Christendom ) " by A. D. White may be downloaded or read on line @

http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/whitewtc.html

SS

Satanus

On the other side of the coin, roman christianity succeeded in unifying europe to an extent, and england, and civilizing many of the more barbaric northern tribes. This was likely a good thing. Would this have been accomplished as quickly, or at all without chritendoms influence? It's a good question; the answer i don't know. The unifying of the world is in the process now. People argue as to wheather it is good or bad, but whatever forces are pushing this cannot be stopped.

SS

Carmel

D,

I'd certainly be one of the last to deny that much harm has been done in the name of religion, on the other hand I think it only fair to look at the positive contributions as well. For instance, the tremendous contribution to Europe that was in the "dark" by Islam. The revival of western civilization can, in many regards, be traced back to the efflorescence of science by Islamic thinkers. The Islamic world contributed much to human civilization and re-awoke Europe, but most Christians are lothe to acknowledge same.

Glad to see you were able to see both sides of the coin.

cheers,

carmel

rem

Carmel,

I'm not sure it was so much the Islamic religion that made the positive contribution towards science that provided the benefit. I believe Islam was more tolerant of pagan teachings and writings than the Christians which allowed them to continue in scientific knowledge. Scientific knowledge was present well before Islam, and it is fortunate that this was expanded upon by practicers of Islam. But Islam didn't start the movement for knowledge.

I don't see gaining scientific knowledge as a positive contribution of any religion. If anything, the early Greek philosophers (before Christianity and Islam) did more to contribute in this area, and some of them were even atheists. Perhaps the pagan religions, if any, were the most positive because of their tolerance of outside ideas, but even then, I don't see progress in rational thinking as a product of paganism. I see it as a secular school, rather than a religious one.

rem

"We all do no end of feeling, and we mistake it for thinking." - Mark Twain

Religious Authority an Enemy of Truth?

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