Let’s listen for 34 glorious minutes to what fifty big-brained and rational people who respect what’s true explain why they think what they do about religious beliefs:
(h/t to pharyngula)
July 28, 2011
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tildeb
Questionable Motives 
And a follow-up with this written account in The New Statesman explaining why so many of these same atheists don’t believe.
Comment by tildeb — July 29, 2011 @ 8:23 am |
Some impressive individuals there,granted. Go up a tier to the greatest minds of all time and you’re in the exalted company of Wittgenstein, Kepler,Mendel, Newton, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes etc.
Every one of them a committed Christian!
BTW interesting to see Martin Rees there, given his pronouncements on this subject?
Comment by Alfred Willmore — July 30, 2011 @ 4:24 pm |
The exalted company could have been nothing else in their time, but once freedom of religion was available we see the clear trend: good science is not enhanced but contrary to faith-based beliefs. BTW, at what time is Rees?
Comment by tildeb — July 30, 2011 @ 8:17 pm |
Good film – I like the clip from David Attenborough.
Comment by misunderstoodranter — July 31, 2011 @ 1:31 pm |
Go up a tier to the greatest minds of all time and you’re in the exalted company of Wittgenstein, Kepler,Mendel, Newton, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes etc.
Every one of them a committed Christian!
Yet every one of them is not available for a youtube video because they are dead and buried.
Creationists pop out the same list too.
Not one of the scientists you mention owed any of their discoveries to their religious beliefs.
Their being a “commited Christian” (whatever that means) is as irrelevent to their fame and work as their skin colour.
Comment by Cedric Katesby — August 1, 2011 @ 4:24 am |
“Go up a tier to the greatest minds of all time and you’re in the exalted company of Wittgenstein, Kepler,Mendel, Newton, Galileo, Kepler, Descartes etc.
Every one of them a committed Christian!”
It is important to remember that Christianity was a lot more popular in western history. Some of the reasons for this were a lack of (non-religious) education for the general public, the automatic baptism (i.e. indoctrination) and social status. Churches are clubs, and are built around hierarchies; the purpose of a church is to benefit itself, and it does this via social economic means, including marketing and propaganda.
Many people in high-society were religious, because they knew know different. Religion was a day to day ritual (and still is in some places). Companies, schools and factories had a daily sermon; indeed many had their own chapel. Even the army had (and still has) ‘spiritual leaders’ (whatever they are): http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/priests/armychaplains_1.shtml
The interesting thing here isn’t that Newton et al were practicing Christians, it is that we no longer pray at work or baptise our children. I am not baptised or christened at all – my parents decided not to label me, and let me decide for myself when I was old enough to decide. If society was as free from religion then, as it is now, then I reckon Newton et al would be more inclined to be atheist or agnostic than indoctrinated and practicing.
The other fault with citing historic scientists is that the religious elevate them and their achievements above that of modern scientists – this is a completely illogical thing to do and it is categorically wrong. Modern scientists are just as genius and brilliant as their ancestor counterparts; it is just that they have more evidence to base their public and private conclusions upon.
Comment by misunderstoodranter — August 1, 2011 @ 4:07 pm |
Can’t get enough? I live to serve.
Here are another 50:
Comment by tildeb — August 8, 2011 @ 10:27 am |
Now compare and contrast:
Comment by tildeb — August 9, 2011 @ 1:18 pm |