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From: mcohen@charming.nrtc.northrop.com (Martin Cohen)
Subject: Re: New Physics Curriculum
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References: <3ki5nd$m6g@nntp.Stanford.EDU> <D5t7CH.Gu4@intruder.daytonoh.attgis.com>
Date: Thu, 30 Mar 1995 01:56:58 GMT
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Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.ai:28637 comp.ai.philosophy:26394

In article <D5t7CH.Gu4@intruder.daytonoh.attgis.com> David.E.Weldon@DaytonOH.ATTGIS.COM (WELDOD) writes:
.................
>
>2.  Except for the modern era, the greatest scientists in western culture were
>Christians.  Furthermore, they drew all of their hypotheses about the physical
>universe from their understanding of God andHis relationship to His creation. 
>Without the Judeo-Christian tradition, science as we know it would not exist. 
>All other religions, including the Greek rationalists, view the world as
>chaotic and capricious; Only Judeo-Christian doctrine viewed God's creation as
>good, therefore orderly and lawful, and therefore capable of being studied.
>Finally, these scientists used the Bible as the major source of their
>hypotheses and theories.  So even if everything in the Bible is fiction, our
>understanding of our world in large part is determined by its worldview.
>

I disagree strongly with this!

First of all, many of the Greeks did good scientific work.
They determined the circumference of the earth, devised
laws of mechanics (lever, floating objects, etc.),
and were quite competent in math.

Second, maybe some of the scientists called themselves Christians,
but it was only to protect themselves. Remember Bruno being
burned at the stake and Galileo being forced to recant
his discoveries under threat of torture?

The scientists in the Enlightenment generally agreed with
Newton's statement about God - "I do not need that hypothesis."
-- 
Marty Cohen (mcohen@nrtc.northrop.com) - Not the guy in Philly
  This is my opinion and is probably not Northrop Grumman's!
          Use this material of your own free will
