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From: ee@datcon.co.uk (Eddie Edwards)
Subject: Re: Is there a spiritual force etc.?
Message-ID: <1994Sep14.084938.6638@datcon.co.uk>
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References: <SOSUSER.2.2E731869@sos.net> <JUH.105.779391202@stpc.wi.LeidenUniv.nl> <1994Sep13.030258.1803@news.media.mit.edu> <1994Sep13.120437.5515@datcon.co.uk> <3546sj$4ef@infosrv.edvz.univie.ac.at>
Date: Wed, 14 Sep 1994 08:49:38 GMT
Lines: 48

Arthur Flexer (arthur@ai.univie.ac.at) wrote:
: >
: >You presumably believe in 'modern science', for want of a better term, and
: >until some great minds come along and convince you that you're wrong then you
: >will be following the Western World's greatest religion. 

: No, 'modern science' is definitly not "Western World's greatest religion".
: A science builds on empiric observations and theories built on top of it,
: whereas religion has no explanation value at all!

So you don't accept the 'hey man, the sun comes up every day - what do you
think causes that? Must be a Higher Power' theory of religion at all, then?

Surely this is just an attempt to build theories on top of empirical evidence?
There's just less evidence to build on.

: >ified by common-sense logic, it is still merely a faith.  There is nothing to
: >be gained from a religious war between 'religion' and 'science'.

: Quite on the contrary, there can be gained a lot:
: knowledge of how things really work instead of ideologic lies.

In order to build theories, you need to have axioms.  A scientist may claim
that his axioms are based on large-scale empirical evidence - in fact, so may
a Christian (in fact, they do).  

For instance, every scientist I have met holds the implicit belief in the
consistency of the universe, specifically the temporal invariance of the laws
of physics in one region of space.  You can argue, quite rightly, that if you
didn't keep to this assumption then science would get nowhere - but that does
not change the fact that it *is* an assumption.  If you put your hand on your
heart and said 'Tomorrow, force will be proportional to acceleration' you will
be making a statement of faith.

: One man: "God Bunga ist the only god"
: Another man: "No, God Bonga is the only one and he is mightier than yours!"

This is anecdotal evidence, and you are now attacking religion because of the
observed consequences, rather than for any compelling philosophical reason.

--
Eddie xxx

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