In Age of Science, Is Religion ‘Harmful Superstition’?

Jerry Coyne, author of Faith vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion Are Incompatible was in high school listening to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album when he had an epiphany: God does not exist. The thought terrified him. But his subsequent work as a geneticist and evolutionary biologist gave him a scientific foundation for his teenage conversion.

Talking from the University of Chicago, where he is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution, he explains why new scientific discoveries are undermining the claims of religion; why Stephen Jay Gould was wrong; and how U.S. law is not doing enough to protect children from being martyrs to their parents’ faith.

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“was in high school listening to the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album when he had an epiphany: God does not exist. “

Makes sense. The late Beatles work would make anyone doubt the existence of a just ruler in the universe.

I think that religions are mental diseases.

The Four Freedoms were goals articulated by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 6, 1941. In an address known as the Four Freedoms speech (technically the 1941 State of the Union address), he proposed four fundamental freedoms that people “everywhere in the world” ought to enjoy:

1.Freedom of speech
2.Freedom of worship
3.Freedom from want
4.Freedom from fear

If #3 was ever achieved capitalism would collapse leaving people everywhere looking to the sunlit uplands of North Korea for handouts and guidance.

‘Pends how you define it. People will always want things but we can aspire to a world in which extreme privation is unknown.

I would like it if religion went away, but it’s not going to.

It fills a bug in our coding (IMO)

People will always want things but we can aspire to a world in which extreme privation is unknown.

probably a little deep for pwm.

ChrispenEvan said:

People will always want things but we can aspire to a world in which extreme privation is unknown.

probably a little deep for pwm.

Still a nice thought

I think that religion needs to be taught in schools

we used to have this bloke called something or the other bender – someone everyone used to joke about because of his creepiness

teachers like that are the bed rock of the church of England school system – everyone comes out a confirmed atheist or agnostic

I remember walking into the army recruitment centre as a teenager I remember this sergeant recalling a tale of how he had beaten someone up recently because he wouldn’t make him a cup of tea – presumably somewhere else and why he had been demoted to the army recruitment section.

after asking me a series of questions outlining my sexual preference he then made his way to religion

religion? he asked looking down

I paused, pondering the question – agnostic – I replied

he looked up silently, with a questioning stare – obviously a religion he had never heard of

interpreting it into more understandable terms for him I corrected myself “church of England”

wookiemeister said:

I think that religion needs to be taught in schools

we used to have this bloke called something or the other bender – someone everyone used to joke about because of his creepiness

teachers like that are the bed rock of the church of England school system – everyone comes out a confirmed atheist or agnostic

I remember walking into the army recruitment centre as a teenager I remember this sergeant recalling a tale of how he had beaten someone up recently because he wouldn’t make him a cup of tea – presumably somewhere else and why he had been demoted to the army recruitment section.

after asking me a series of questions outlining my sexual preference he then made his way to religion

religion? he asked looking down

I paused, pondering the question – agnostic – I replied

he looked up silently, with a questioning stare – obviously a religion he had never heard of

interpreting it into more understandable terms for him I corrected myself “church of England”

Being a lapsed C of E myself, I think Agnostic and Cof E are each side of the same slice of bread, and one slice of bread don’t add up to a balanced and complete diet.

I don’t think all religion is harmful superstition. The principles of Buddhism seem OK: compassion, happiness, empathy and not forming sentimental attachments to material things. What can go wrong?

Divine Angel said:

I don’t think all religion is harmful superstition. The principles of Buddhism seem OK: compassion, happiness, empathy and not forming sentimental attachments to material things. What can go wrong?

forming sentimental attachments to material things is why humans crave energy production, cars and expensive travel, and then have to deal with climate change, environmental balance, possible early extinction.

Divine Angel said:

I don’t think all religion is harmful superstition. The principles of Buddhism seem OK: compassion, happiness, empathy and not forming sentimental attachments to material things. What can go wrong?

It still has the usual BS of suffering caused by “sin” and is therefore a just state

Divine Angel said:

I don’t think all religion is harmful superstition. The principles of Buddhism seem OK: compassion, happiness, empathy and not forming sentimental attachments to material things. What can go wrong?

Lets ask those Burmese who are not buddist what they think of the compassion et al.

sibeen said:

Divine Angel said:

I don’t think all religion is harmful superstition. The principles of Buddhism seem OK: compassion, happiness, empathy and not forming sentimental attachments to material things. What can go wrong?

Lets ask those Burmese who are not buddist what they think of the compassion et al.

they probably don’t speak much English.

did cargo pants ever go out of style?

wookiemeister said:

did cargo pants ever go out of style?

Yes, probably around 2007-2008. But only for a short time.

God and religion await you
you are their subject before even conceived or born
same of ideology’n law too
given name’n when is called ‘round’n look you’ll turn

transition said:

God and religion await you
you are their subject before even conceived or born
same of ideology’n law too
given name’n when is called ‘round’n look you’ll turn

Reminds me of what was said when I showed people my opal mine. “you won’t be getting me down there. I’ll be there long enough when Im dead.”