There are only a few xtian denominations that take the word of the Bible verbatim.
"Only a few" denominations, consisting of more than a few million believers in an inerrant bible in contrast to unknown millions of catholics and other sects who don't? The point is, the contention didn't regard the number of denomination/sects but, the number of followers.
Even though it may have had some "dark" periods in its history, Catholicism (which is the largest denomination world wide) actually does endorse scientific discovery and a more rigorous, theological study of religion.
Oh, catholicism has had more than some dark "periods", they've been responsible for dark
"ages", (which included the suppression of and active opposition to
any scientific advancements), the various "Inquisitions" and the "Crusades".
There have been some priests and / or monks that have actually participated in advanced scientific research including the SETI project, particle physics, and evolution. They do believe that God created the universe, but not necessarily how it was created; the big bang theory is seen not as contradicting God as the creator, but as a tool that God used for creation.
Yes, some of the followers of organised religions as a whole are well-known for 'co-opting'/retroactively-attributing things to a 'creator g-d'. In the past, they'd engaged in the 'cultural theft' of "pagan" religious beliefs but, switched-over to 'co-opting' some scientific inquiry as "a tool of
g-d". That remains the same type of religious presumptuousness as previous cultural thefts, (e.g., 'the medical staff didn't save the patient's life, g-d used them as "tools"', etc.).
Thus scientific research is looked upon as a way to see the true beauty of God's creation. True, they still believe that God is creator, Jesus is our savior, the existence of a person's soul, and other ideas that cannot be proven ...
In other words, they view scientific research as a "tool of g-d", not as a tool of human scientists, in order to santimoniously co-opt that too. The sheer gall involved in twisting man-made "tools" into being attributed to a hypothetical supernatural egregore, (instead of the human scientists and engineers actually responisible for them), is astounding. Such attempts at further co-opting and false attribution is revealed by the
lack of that
same scientific method's inapplicability to those faith-based religious concepts just mentioned, ("creator g-d", "saviour" and "soul").
I think that certain blunders made by the early Catholic church (like discrediting Copernicus etc.) has taught them that science should be embraced, not viewed as their antagonist.
Such "blunders" resulted in the dark ages, inquistions and crusades and thus, are a bit more far-reaching than attempting to minimize them as mere "blunders". The catholic church leadership is still engaged in a policy of co-opting/theft; it's trying to do so with scientific inquiry now, just as it once did with the pagan religious concepts of other cultures in order to assimulate and absorb them. The practice remains as disingenuous and dishonorable now as it was before.
The issue I think you have is that the most vociferous xtians are usually from Evangelical denominations which by their nature are 1) much more conservative in their beliefs as the bible being the literal word from God (as opposed to Catholicism's belief that it is the inspired word of God) and 2) are more activist in voicing their opinion (ie they are evangelizing the gospel)
That "inspired word" concept was briefly touched-upon as having no veracity, (lacks evidentiary basis and relies instead upon "faith" alone).
Community Forum
Topic: The meaning of life? (Read 4025 times)
January 20, 2009, 07:18:23 am
