by Finkelstein 70 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
I'll agree with you to a point on this, in that there was non-christian information that was retained, but these were primarily either in monestaries and areas of Ireland and Europe distant from the core control of the church
That's actually the opposite of the case. The greatest amount of work occurred in core geographical areas and spread from there, not in the periphery. And, as you noted, it occured in church institutions such as monasteries, which undercuts your argument.
This counter point seems to always come up by religionists to try and defame atheism.
That's a risible comment from someone who's spent most of the thread defaming religious faith (and, I'll add, misrepresenting it).
So what your saying then Botchtower that religion has always played a supporting role in helping mankind toward making
scientific discoveries and never impeded any of these endeavorers through open unhinged inquiry ?
Really ?
Picking out one modern practicing religionist who delved into scientific discovery or independent thought outside of his theological teaching
doesn't resolve the fact that religion in its long history impeded the advancment of human discovery. Botchtower .
So what your saying then Botchtower that religion has always played a supporting role in helping mankind toward making
scientific discoveries and never impeded any of these endeavorers through open unhinged inquiry ?
Straw man.
doesn't resolve the fact that religion in its long history impeded the advancment of human discovery. Botchtower .
You make unsupported statements, not arguments.
Anyways this argument is going off topic of this thread which was suppose to be about the viable social aspect of religion being removed from today's
modern secular societies to the betterment of humanity.
Lets keep the thread focused on the sociability aspect.
Just a brief yes or no answer would suffice Botchtower and then lets move on please.
SBC: Religion hardly promoted science and human progress in this case.
BTS: It is an exception, and, I'd like to add, Galileo's own research was funded by the church. There is a lot of context your quote omits, such as the fact that scientific consensus at the time opposed Galileo's ideas.
Well, I appreciate you saying it's an exception at least, Burns, my friend. Bear in mind, I also omit a segments of the judgment that paint the church in a really ugly light, too.
I need to go back and see whether the scientific consensus was outright opposed to heliocentricity or divided. I've heard both but I honestly don't know.
At any rate, I remember reading an article by Dinesh D'souza that called the current view of Galileo a caricature as well, that sounded almost convincing, but after comparing it to a Catholic website's slant against Galileo's character, it just felt like apologetic propaganda like the WT would use ... especially when compared with the documented text from the Inquisition, which takes us back to the actual events.
Here is a way to look at this idea from a non-modern religious viewpoint:
Almost everybody today (except perhaps for a very tiny lunatic fringe) rejects any notion that there ever was anything real or believable about the ancient Greek religions with their complex mythos of Gods, Goddesses, monsters, and legends.
However - if we ask the question specifically: "Would mankind be better off without the ancient Greek religious tradition?" - can ANYBODY realistically make the case that it would?
Here is another interesting video of A C Grayling discussing the attributes of humanistic values in a social atmosphere
without the infusion of a present religious theology.
Tough question
Overall.....I agree with Perry that eliminating religion would be a form of control and would be the opposite of promoting freedom. Yet I also believe that religion in and of itself has spawned so much lunacy, wars and hatred. But if I had to choose....I'd say yes....the world would be a better place without religion.
We don't need belief in a religion or even in God in order to live moral lives. We don't need God to tell us that it is wrong to take another person's life. We don't need God to tell us that swindling an old lady out of her life savings is inhuman. If religion didn't exist we would still have as humans....a built in moral compass that tells us wrong from right. All the while.....there would be one less reason for people to hate and kill
