[ExI] [Bulk] Religious Idiocy Triumphs Over Science Yet Again

Sat Dec 5 01:48:49 UTC 2015

John Clark wrote:  I am not referring to the party of Hillary (I believe
in evolution) Clinton.
-------
I suggest that the word 'belief' is very wrongly applied to science.  What
is wrong with saying "Darwin's theory and the modifications that succeeded
it are the best ways by far of accounting for the evidence we have."  This
is different from a belief in evolution.

Belief is an act of faith.  Faith in things and processes unseen,
unobservable by any means, other than interpretation of events that could
be more easily explained otherwise, has no place in science - I think we
can all agree on that

So statements about science and about faith, including religious faith,
have very little in common.

Put another way, the epistemology of science and of religion are totally
different.  Empiricism has no place in religion and authoritarianism has no
place in science (or shouldn't have!).

Bill W

On Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 6:51 PM, John Clark <johnkclark at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Fri, Dec 4, 2015 at 4:31 PM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:
>
>
>> > 
>> John this is unnecessarily negative.  The telescope construction will
>> resume.
>>
>
> Perhaps it will get built after all, but probably not in Hawaii. I think
> the astronomers should tell mother earth and father sky to stick Wao Akua
> up their asses and build the Thirty Meter Telescope in Chile's Atacama
> desert; it already has many of the world's best telescopes and there is
> plenty of room for more.
>
>
>> > 
>> It isn’t about religion either; that’s only the silly excuse.
>>
>>
> I disagree. I would have more respect for them if they were just doing it
> for the money but I don't think that is the case. I think they're sincere,
> and some of the greatest fools on this planet are sincere. 
>
>
>> >
>>> > 
>>> …The Republican presidential candidates should be pleased.
>>
>>
>>
>> Ehhhh… ?  Which party should be pleased?
>>
>
> The
>  
> party in which the top 3 presidential candidates
> are 
> Donald Trump, Ben Carson and
>  
> Ted Cruz, world class ignoramuses all.
> The same party that has
>  
> Jeb (evolution should not be taught in schools) Bush
>  
> and Mike (
>  
> Darwinism is not an established
>  
> scientific
> fact
>  
> it is a theory) Huckabee and Marco ( whether the Earth was created in 7
> days, or 7 actual eras I’m not sure we’ll ever be able to answer that
> i
> t’s one of the great mysteries) Rubio.
>
> I am not referring to the party of Hillary (I believe in evolution)
> Clinton.
>
>   John K Clark
>
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>
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