FAITH versus SCIENCE
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| Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) |
BB IDAHO posted the following at Kid's blog:
Until the telescope, our vision of the sky remained scant. Progress since has been remarkable, as your photos show. But those infant optics were a bit troublesome-
I trace my words into the sand
Words at one time that were banned
Earth circle sun, by math explain
Recant or die in burning pain
The heavens revealed, my telescope
disagreed with priest and Pope
The sun doth circle earth, they said
your sorry science we shall shred
For we the Church Triumphant stand
Inquisitors with burning brand
Do not use your curious mind
For we insist that you stay blind
Only we proclaim the truth
Lest we fear the curious sleuth
Our pious knowledge we proclaim
Enforced by dungeon and the flame
Recant your words and follow us
Or face the Stake that burnt Jan Hus
For we despise your faith in Science
Our faith in faith is our reliance
Three hundred sixty years have past
My words in sand now concrete cast
Earth has circled all along
For I was right and they were wrong.
- for Galileo
Kid said in response:
BB, Great example of why I laugh every time some 'scientist' proclaims he has 'the answer' to anything. They've been wrong for thousands of years but still believe they can be finally right.
I, Franco Aragosta, responded to both:
Very clever rhyme! It contains much that is true, but it is not the Ultimate Truth.
Entrenched Power of ANY kind always becomes self-serving and self-protective. Roman Barbarians had the power in the pre-Christian era. "The Church" had the power in the Middle Ages, "Science" has it now.
The thing we need to fear most is ORTHODOXY of ANY kind.
The arrogance and self-righteeusness that come with any sort of cocksure attitude is the Achilles Heel of any form of dogmatic or doctriinal cant and rhetoric.
Life is fluid, evanescent, ever-changing, unpredictable and never competely knowable. Life by its very nature is not stable, so the attempts some have made to trap and solidify it have always been doomed to failure.
Even so, the Spirit who created and guides all is "unresting, unhasting, and silent as light, nor wanting nor wasting yet out of our sight. We blossom and flourish like leaves on a tree then withereth and fadeth, but naught changeth Thee."
True faith, which is always questing, is not at odds with Science just as true Science, which is also always questing, is not at odds with faith. Both Science and Faith search for the same thing –– TRUTH –– they only approach it from different angles.
This means that to be credible neither Faith nor Science can afford to be tendentious in their rhetoric or agenda-driven in their aims.
… Franco
Much Madness is divinest Sense ––
ReplyDeleteTo a discerning Eye ––
Much Sense ––- the starkest Madness ––
’Tis the Majority
In this, as all, prevail ––
Assent –– and you are sane ––
Demur –– you’re straightway dangerous ––
And handled with a Chain ––
... Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
The thing we need to fear most is ORTHODOXY of ANY kind.
ReplyDeleteDepends on the orthodoxy, IMO. For example, I am orthodox when it comes to grammar.
What I think we should fear: zealotry of any kind.
Just my two cents.
Well-said.
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ReplyDeleteOff-Topic comments WILL be deleted, as will personal insults and stupid inflammatory remarks.
ReplyDeleteFT, or Ftanco, I tend to agree with your posts general message as its just common sense . A third world country right on USA door step and many 'Mexican' lying , cheating and killing , murdering to get into the USA . Plus the tons on 'dual citizen Mexicans' already voting in the USA . Just a comment on the general theme of your posts although I must admit that I preferred your old blog where you consecrated more on politics then on "Faith", etc.
ReplyDeleteBut in any case thank you for it.
Just another note... if I may...
DeleteWhen you legitimize illegal aliens and THEN give them the right vote (All without the popular consensus or any kind of vote). Well, isn't that rather cynical if not self serving? We didn't get to vote on giving illegal aliens a vote...But because of some weird quirks nobody understands, Illegal aliens get to change immigration laws. To me, it's as obvious as it is shocking.
An interesting discussion; thank you.
ReplyDeleteAs to Kid’s point, I don’t think that the issue is so much that scientists develop illogical (and therefore incorrect) hypotheses; stumbling around in the dark is how we eventually find the light. For me, the issue is the arrogance of people who think of themselves far too-well educated to be wrong about anything, even when their junk science harms so many innocents. I think it is also true that while (many) scientists profess no belief in God, they don’t mind playing Him on TV when it comes to such things as global warming, weather phenomena, energy resources, or antidotes for the common cold.
As to your point that science and faith search for answers to the same questions, I respectfully disagree. Science searches for knowledge. Faith is the search for a relationship with God.
Thank you for stopping by, Mustang. I hope you will join us frequently.
DeleteI try always to be very clear as to what i mean, but my use of the language too often fails me. The point I had hoped to make was that both Science and Religion, –– IF they are honest ––, are both searching for TRUTH. if Truth is not the ultimate form of Knowledge, I don't know what else could be.
Of course I define God AS Truth among other essential attributes Principal, Spirit, Life, Love, Soul, and Beauty –– an individualized definition gained from prayer and insight that sparks disagreement from many.
AOW took exception to my rejection of ORTHODOXY, by which I meant RIGIDITY of course. I suppose i should have spelt that out.
I have unlimited faith in Truth. I only wish I understood what it really is better than I do –– a large task all men of good conscience should be eager to take on, I believe.