Reason in the Balance and why Fundamentalists are Beyond Reason

sullivan-county.com ^ | Unknown | Lewis Loflin

[Gritty]

evolution is accepted scientific fact

Your "fact" is in fact a "theory". That's why they call it the Theory of Evolution.

You need to get your facts straight before you start trying to lecture others on theirs.

[TalBlack]

S'okay!

So long as I have a book, I can wait!

A Bronze age gal with a book; there's a picture!

[King Black Robe]

LOL. Yes. Sorry. I made a typing error. The Chinese developed few general scientific theories based on their knowledge, and medieval schience largely accepted Aristotle as the ultimate authority. In the Arabic world there was much discussion in this area, but it would seem that the principles by which they comprehended the world were formed under the combined influence of Aristotelianism and Neo-Platonism. The Arabic scholars did remarkable word, especially in mathematics--in trigonometry and alegebra, for example, and in astronomy....

So much for shortcuts.

[Kerberos]

"The Chinese developed few general scientific theories based on their kno"

I think the Chinese biggest contribution was gunpowder.

[PatrickHenry]

PING. [This ping list is for the evolution side of evolution threads, and sometimes for other science topics. FReepmail me to be added or dropped.]

[King Black Robe]

I think the Chinese biggest contribution was gunpowder.

LOL!

[AlaskaErik]

This country spends more on education than most countries in the world combined. Yet for all the money, talk, and hype on education, America ranks at the bottom of the industrial world in biology, geology, ancient history, geography, etc.

This has more to do with liberals who dominate our public school system than it does with religious types. The liberals have destroyed and dumbed down education to the point where it is today. Whether through incompetence or by design, I do not know. But a dumbed down population is much easier to control and that is what the liberals are all about...control.

[AreaMan]

I draw a lot of my conception of fundamentalism from what I read on this site, that and being subjected to it in my youth for many years. And what I draw from here is deeply concerning. It demonstrates many parallels between Islam and itself.

I think I understand what you are trying to say.

Look, we are imperfect beings with limited understanding and sometimes we have to rise above our experiences to understand the truth.

When I was a kid I stuck a nail in a 220VAC outlet and woke up across the room. Is electricity bad? Nope, but that incident did make me wary of how electricity can hurt and kill.

Christianity has been abused and distorted by many throught time for their own ends, e.g. Divine Right, Forced Conversion, Jim Baker, Branch Davidians, and more recently TBN.

Are those examples Christianity? No, they are distortions. Are some of those people considered "fundamentalists?" Yes.

Islam is not being distorted or being practiced in an extreme way. Islam is inherently violent and cruel, with no system of atonement other than the whim of their god.

Christianity is the foundation for western civilization and much of the scientific and social advancements that we enjoy today.

[AreaMan]

I think the Chinese biggest contribution was gunpowder. LOL!

I think it was spicy orange chicken with a side of fried rice. Oh yeah, and the magnetic compass...that was a biggie too.

[VadeRetro]

The author makes a mess of the relationship between theory and law, not that we were ever going to educate the creos on that point anyway. But I like the treatment of Philip Johnson.

[Servant of the 9]

Fundamentalist Christians are merely people who believe the Scriptures have been inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Depends on where you live.
In the South, believing scripture is inspired by the Holy Ghost makes you a Christian.
To be a fundy, you mostly gotta believe that scripture is the absolutely inerrant literal word of God without any errors of translation or transcription. No allegory or interpretation allowed.
That may not be correct, but it is what most non-fundamentalists consider fundamentalist.

So9

[longshadow]

This guy may have the main theme correct, but he blows a few of the details:

"E. A theory accepted as fact becomes a LAW. For example, Law of Gravity, Law of Thermodynamics, etc. "

A theory is a theory, and a Law is a law. Scientific Laws are generalizations about empirically observed relationships; they are descriptive. Scientific Theories are conceptual frameworks for a range of phenomona; they are explanatory. Laws tell you what to expect; Theories explain the mechanics of how it works.

SCientific Theories never turn into Laws.

[tiamat]

The Romans had books!

So did the Han!

( and lots of other folk if you are willing to accept scrolls in place of "books"! )

[Kerberos]

"Look, we are imperfect beings with limited understanding and sometimes we have to rise above our experiences to understand the truth."

Absolutely, and I spend much of my time trying to do just that.

"When I was a kid I stuck a nail in a 220VAC outlet and woke up across the room"

Ouch, I had a similar incident when I was a kid with a portable TV. And I too woke up across the room. Ever since then I have had an undying respect for electricity.

And yes I understand that people are imperfect and make mistakes; I don't expect them to be perfect. I do expect them to be called on it.

It too a certain degree is like what is going on in the Catholic Church with all of the molestation charges. I can remember jokes about that from when I was a kid and that was 40 years ago. So it's not like people have not known about this for a long time, it's just that they have not called those who are responsible on it. Most likely out of fear

After all Christianity is a religion of fear at its core, fear of the Lord, Bush is a God fearing man, etc, etc. A life lived in fear is no life at all.

[Oztrich Boy]

Every knee WILL bow and every tongue confess that JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!

dream on, schoolgirl.

Survey sez: Muhammad's fanatics are more fanatic than Jesus's fanatics.

Play their game: Western civilization is gonna lose.

[TalBlack]

The Romans had books!

So did the Han!

( and lots of other folk if you are willing to accept scrolls in place of "books"! )

I imagine so. The Torah came down to us intact from the very mists of antiquity and it turns that there is a "book within THAT book"!

Waddaya wanna bet you're in it?

[tiamat]

Not me!

I'm not Jewish!

( Although I sometimes wish I were! )

[TalBlack]

"After all Christianity is a religion of fear at its core, fear of the Lord, Bush is a God fearing man, etc, etc. A life lived in fear is no life at all."

A life lived "in fear" and a life lived in fear of God are two very different things.

A life lived in Fear of God BANISHES "fear" of ALL things--even Death.

A life lived in fear of God is the ONLY fully realized life.

[k2blader]

A long read but it is the best explanation I have seen so far as to why we have fringe elements in both political parties.

This article is indeed an excellent example of "fringe".

[DannyTN]

"America ranks at the bottom of the industrial world in biology, geology, ancient history, geography, etc. "

I think the article is based on a false premise. The author has a chip on his shoulder against Christianity. He only has a cursory knowledge of the scriptures. He redefines Christianity in the following paragraph. He denies the word of God by denying that Satan is. And it is hard to imagine that a true Christian would say this.

"Freedom makes all people equal, just as God intended. Only those who wish crush freedom, enslave their fellow man, or use terror to enforce dogma, are the real Satan. Satan is not a actuall being but does represent human evil. For that we must be on guard. Jesus wanted His people to be free from Roman tyranny and died at the hands of Romans for His beliefs. Anyone who wants less than freedom for others is no Christian."