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Forums - General Discussion - Which Is A Bigger Threat To Humanity? Science Or Religion?

bdbdbd said:
o_O.Q said:

"You're right. It is religion that makes people to do that."

but atheists kill people too right?

Maybe. I don't know. So far I've never heard anyone killing other people because atheism told them to. Religion, on the other hand, is a whole different matter.

you don't know if atheist kill people or not?



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o_O.Q said:
Torillian said:

You seem absolutely certain that the scientific community has "faith" in singularities but when asked specifics there's a whole lot of "I think". Don't you think you should study what leading scientists in the field say before you make the claim that your remembrance that black holes and the big bang involve singularities is a sign that scientists are using faith?

i think was with regards to how singularities are are practical

there you go, does that clear things up for you?

and what I'm looking for is citations. Actual articles where someone in the field says something to the tune of "though there is no current experimental evidence for the actual physical existence of a singularity we believe that such evidence is only waiting to be discovered" or some such nonsense. Otherwise you don't have faith but scientists attempting to apply a mathematical model to the real world, a practice that is perfectly normal and rational. 



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Peh said:
o_O.Q said:

i didn't say anyone said so... so i'm not attacking a strawman... i'm just saying that atheists aren't bastions of moral virtue in response to the point that was made about religions influencing people to cause harm

and some religious people would make the point that without the grace of god atheists fall into temptation from the devil

atheists can't disprove that claim

Your very reply to bdbdbd is a non-sequitur, arf. He talks about the influence of religion itself, arf. You reply has absolutely nothing to do with his, arf. You just dodged his statement and went straight for atheists who also kill people to build a strawman, arf.

 

Uhm, why should I disprove a claim which you for example created, arf? Don't shift the burden of proof on to atheists, arf.

Besides not believing in a God or the devil, I don't see myself going around killing and raping people, arf. Nor do I see millions of other atheistic people do that, arf. For once, I've yet to see the numerous news on the media saying: atheististic group rapes women, throws suicide bombers into a group of people, throws gay people from roofs, going on a killing spree at a church, arf.

I also wouldn't really blame the term religion but the scripts that tell those people do to such things, arf. Also  Crazy  people are all over the place, arf.

But your argument can be turned against you with ease, arf.

Here, let me show you, arf:

While you say that it is the grace of God who shields you against the devil or so to say your believe in him, arf. Would you go killing and sinning all over the place when you don't believe in God, arf?

Is religion just an invention to keep people from going to do whatever they like to do, arf? Just think about it for a moment, arf. Why fear humans if you have to fear God's wrath, arf?

"He talks about the influence of religion itself, arf. You reply has absolutely nothing to do with his"

his statement was rhetorical... its the kind of statement that is obviously true and doesn't need to be addressed further... so i did not

if i told you water is wet, would you feel the need to challenge that statement?

 

"Uhm, why should I disprove a claim which you for example created"

its not my claim, its a claim that religious people would make of atheists

 

"You just dodged his statement and went straight for atheists who also kill people to build a strawman"

strawman definition "an intentionally misrepresented proposition that is set up because it is easier to defeat than an opponent's real argument"

if i "dodged" his statement how can i be making a strawman? edit: and how did i misrepresent him?

 

" I've yet to see the numerous news on the media saying: atheististic group rapes women, throws suicide bombers into a group of people, throws gay people from roofs, going on a killing spree at a church"

i'm not understanding your point here... are you trying to say that atheists are more moral than other groups? or that they don't kill people in news worthy ways?

 

"While you say that it is the grace of God who shields you against the devil or so to say your believe in him, arf. Would you go killing and sinning all over the place when you don't believe in God, arf?"

"Is religion just an invention to keep people from going to do whatever they like to do, arf? Just think about it for a moment, arf. Why fear humans if you have to fear God's wrath, arf?"

its not my view, so i can't address your question

Last edited by o_O.Q - on 16 January 2018

Torillian said:
o_O.Q said:

i think was with regards to how singularities are are practical

there you go, does that clear things up for you?

and what I'm looking for is citations. Actual articles where someone in the field says something to the tune of "though there is no current experimental evidence for the actual physical existence of a singularity we believe that such evidence is only waiting to be discovered" or some such nonsense. Otherwise you don't have faith but scientists attempting to apply a mathematical model to the real world, a practice that is perfectly normal and rational. 

probably the most famous physicist alive in our era stephen hawking

http://www.hawking.org.uk/the-beginning-of-time.html

"However, the expansion of the universe, is like the time reverse of the collapse of a star. I therefore want to show you, that observational evidence indicates the universe contains sufficient matter, that it is like the time reverse of a black hole, and so contains a singularity."

 

i can get more if you want




o_O.Q said:
Torillian said:

and what I'm looking for is citations. Actual articles where someone in the field says something to the tune of "though there is no current experimental evidence for the actual physical existence of a singularity we believe that such evidence is only waiting to be discovered" or some such nonsense. Otherwise you don't have faith but scientists attempting to apply a mathematical model to the real world, a practice that is perfectly normal and rational. 

probably the most famous physicist alive in our era stephen hawking

http://www.hawking.org.uk/the-beginning-of-time.html

"However, the expansion of the universe, is like the time reverse of the collapse of a star. I therefore want to show you, that observational evidence indicates the universe contains sufficient matter, that it is like the time reverse of a black hole, and so contains a singularity."

 

i can get more if you want


So again, he's applying the current evidence and mathematical models to state that he thinks there was a singularity. I can't agree that this is having faith in something. If I give you my best guess as to a certain enzyme's mechanisms even though we don't yet have enough data for it to be conclusive am I giving you a hypothesis or do I have faith in my explanation?



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Torillian said:
o_O.Q said:

probably the most famous physicist alive in our era stephen hawking

http://www.hawking.org.uk/the-beginning-of-time.html

"However, the expansion of the universe, is like the time reverse of the collapse of a star. I therefore want to show you, that observational evidence indicates the universe contains sufficient matter, that it is like the time reverse of a black hole, and so contains a singularity."

 

i can get more if you want


So again, he's applying the current evidence and mathematical models to state that he thinks there was a singularity. I can't agree that this is having faith in something. If I give you my best guess as to a certain enzyme's mechanisms even though we don't yet have enough data for it to be conclusive am I giving you a hypothesis or do I have faith in my explanation?

he makes a lot of assumptions though and that's my point

for example "observational evidence indicates the universe contains sufficient matter, that it is like the time reverse of a black hole"

for one thing, black holes aren't understood that well and another is that the idea that there is sufficient mass is another assumption

 

another thing is "observational evidence"... around 3% pf the universe is currently observable to us... they just call the rest dark matter



o_O.Q said:
bdbdbd said:

Maybe. I don't know. So far I've never heard anyone killing other people because atheism told them to. Religion, on the other hand, is a whole different matter.

you don't know if atheist kill people or not?

No, I don't know.

o_O.Q said:
Torillian said:

and what I'm looking for is citations. Actual articles where someone in the field says something to the tune of "though there is no current experimental evidence for the actual physical existence of a singularity we believe that such evidence is only waiting to be discovered" or some such nonsense. Otherwise you don't have faith but scientists attempting to apply a mathematical model to the real world, a practice that is perfectly normal and rational. 

probably the most famous physicist alive in our era stephen hawking

http://www.hawking.org.uk/the-beginning-of-time.html

"However, the expansion of the universe, is like the time reverse of the collapse of a star. I therefore want to show you, that observational evidence indicates the universe contains sufficient matter, that it is like the time reverse of a black hole, and so contains a singularity."

 

i can get more if you want


When we have something that's infinite in physics, it also means it's beyond measure. I believe the Hawking example of singularity is the shrinking of actual space-time so, that the interaction happen in Planck scale, where the universe appear to be 2D, and the only recognisable force would be gravity. 



Ei Kiinasti.

Eikä Japanisti.

Vaan pannaan jalalla koreasti.

 

Nintendo games sell only on Nintendo system.

o_O.Q said:
pleaserecycle said:

The singularities do not physically exist.  They're only mathematical. 

but scientists are attempting to apply them to the real world through black holes

that's the point i've been making

Somehow we've transitioned from the Big Bang to black holes, but the same principles apply.

General relativity is a classical field theory that describes space and time through a gravitational field.  Field theories propose that matter interacts with a field, such as a gravitational field or electric field, instead of interacting directly with other matter.  General relativity is classical in the sense that it does not account for quantum mechanical effects; therefore, we might expect that general relativity does not apply (breaks down) in the realm of subatomic particles or minuscule time scales.  The black hole singularity appears because we're applying general relativity in a realm where quantum mechanical effects are present.  There is no physical evidence that supports the singularity and the current state of research involves building a theory of general relativity that includes quantum mechanical effects so that the theory does not produce a singularity.

Last edited by pleaserecycle - on 16 January 2018

superchunk said:
Superman4 said:

I disagree completely with this statement. Anywhere you have religion you have issues. Why is the middle east in an endless war? Religion. Why does the US have insane laws regarding abortion, gay marriage etc.  Religion. Lack of religion allows you to focus on being a person first and not waiting for some mythical figure to guide you through life. It also eliminates the justification for your violence towards others or acceptance of others. Over time religion has caused more deaths and massacres than any war over land,or Plague.

Name one country where there is no religion? That's like saying air is the leading cause of death because nearly everyone who has ever died was breathing air at the time of death.

You are highlighting true issues with how people use their religious power. However, you are ignoring the countless others who are happy in that same extreme living space or in the much larger world where extremism is not law. Its called cherry picking.

The OP was not requesting opinions on cherry picked scenarios. When you break down plausibility for humanity impacting crisis', an event rising from AI, genetic manipulations, or otherwise have a far higher possibility than tyrannical religion. Fact is, we already have and have had extremist religions powers. Humanity hasn't been threatened.

Hell, what has threatened humanity? WW1 and 2. The Cuban Missile Crisis. Those had nothing to do with religion but power and that power utilized weapons and scientific studies to kill millions. Especially during WW2. 

It's far more likely that we're going to see a plague caused by genetic manipulation.

It's far more likely that we're going to have issues from AI.

It's far more likely that we're going to become to reliant on science / tech and when it collapses from some war action, we'll all be screwed. (read the one second after book, good stuff)

Now, don't get me wrong. I love tech and science. I can't wait to see implementations of self driving cars (I'm buying a Telsa later this year). I will be among the first to sign up for nano-tech injected into my body as a better immune system. I am un-trustworthy of GMO food in general (another topic I see as a big risk to humanity) but I'm not against further study on producing better food genetically. (difference is in injecting poisons vs increasing size/nutrients)

The argument isn't which one is better than the other as both have merits and risks. This isn't an emotional discussion. But which has the most plausibility to be a threat to humanity. Organized belief in a god is actually on the decline WW. This is why there is so much backlash in America as Christians are now becoming more and more extremist. Its a defense mechanism. (btw, I'm not atheist or Christian) But, mistakes in several scientific fields simply have a higher plausibility of happening than a large-scale religious based conflict or a religions based terror group attempting to kill us all off with nukes/virus/etc.

I think you missed the point.  In WWI and in WW2 religion played a part. It was very prevalent in WW2 considering Hitler was targeting Jews. The point however is that much like politics with two sides opposing, religion is much of the same with an even more dangerous narrative. Religion is used in every culture as a way to control people and create a hive type mind. Make everyone fear a "God" and do his bidding so that anyone in a position of authority in said religion controls the masses. Back when religion was invented it was an ingenious way for a different class of people to gain power by manipulating people into belief based on "miracles" and scare tactics. Why people still believe in these fairy tales is beyond me but it is having the same effect now. People are radicalizing because it gives them purpose where they have none. It makes them important in their heads and gives their life meaning. That is very dangerous as it gives reason to do unspeakable things in the name of your religion and for people on the edge is an enabler. 



SpokenTruth said:
o_O.Q said:

"You're right. It is religion that makes people to do that."

but atheists kill people too right?

Can you show me the passage in the atheists doctrine that directs atheists to kill people?

We'll wait while you find it.

o_O.Q said:

 

"They won't be rewritten but added to."

you can't know that for certain since they might have to rethink certain aspects as they move forwards, that's a possibility... or they may just realise that they don't exist...

 

"That doesn't require faith."

to me it does when you don't even have any evidence that they exist, which they don't

I can know that for certain.  And the fact you suggest the laws of Newtonian physics and the laws of quantum mechanics may need to be rewritten and not just expanded on tells me that you are not well versed on the subject.  You are arguing from ignorance and incredulity.  Just because YOU don't know doesn't mean that others don't know.  It's faith to you because you don't know enough otherwise.

 

"Can you show me the passage in the atheists doctrine that directs atheists to kill people?"

you're answering my question with a question? do atheist kill people or not?

 

"the fact you suggest the laws of Newtonian physics and the laws of quantum mechanics may need to be rewritten and not just expanded on tells me that you are not well versed on the subject."

strawman

i said that singularities are not currently accommodated in our physics laws

i then said that two possibilities are t(1)hat singularities may not exist and (2)that we may have to change our current laws of physics (furthermore i didn't say that these are the only possibilities )

 

the idea you are pushing that there is only one path with regards to this problem - that singularities exist and we simply have to add to our laws of physics to include them is actually the silliest idea i've heard so far... let me reiterate this so you get it... we do not know yet if they even exist in a practical sense, got it yet?

 

" You are arguing from ignorance and incredulity.  "

 

only because you are attacking a strawman though ( and even the strawman you attacked is a possibility since it is possible that our physics laws are not perfect, this stance as someone graciously pointed out previously is anti-science )

Last edited by o_O.Q - on 16 January 2018