Science vs. Religion

"The confrontation between science and formal religion will come to an end when the role played by science in the lives of all people is the same as that played by religion today."

This was a quote from Carolyn C. Porco, a planetary scientist, leader of the Cassini Imaging Team, director of CICLOPS and professor adjunct at the University of Arizona.

Impressive credentials, but as we've learned these days, credentials and University degrees can be misleading. As evidence I offer that most prestigious universities must give out financial degrees without having to pass ethics.

That doesn't mean she's right or wrong, but these are her thoughts.

The statement itself is interesting in that science triumphs in many science-fiction novels.  H.G. Wells and Orwell come to mind.

Science doesn't necessarily deliver a life changing triumph. It simply replaces religion, with facts. Faith with facts and/or theories that can and should be challenged.

Where faith asks you to believe without question, science asks you to prove them wrong. And in proving them wrong a new breakthrough is made.

This is called advancement. The other is called stagnation.

Religion has been stagnating humanity for thousands of years.

It tells us it has all the answers, we need seek no further.

In my opinion, this is like suspending life. If life is a journey we should always be asking questions and learning we add more questions.

I need something to believe in, maybe we all do. My hypothesis is just that we may be believing in belief. This does not allow for emotional growth. Science goes on, disregarding whether the scientist is religious or not.

We, the non-scientists, are asked to go on without asking questions.

What do I believe? I believe there are no absolutes. I believe there are infinite questions. I believe we should start worrying about this life in real time. I believe you should think for yourself. I believe you should ask as many questions as possible and learn as much as you can. I believe there is a lot of disinformation, you and I must discern and distill it.

Will there be conflict? Only as long as there is life on Earth? Because life is conflict. From single cell to plants to us... there is always conflict to survive.

I believe if there is a god he/she gave me a brain and free-will. I make my decisions and will let the god sort it out.

I use god in small tense, because gods of today have replaced dead god's and dead civilizations in the past. There is no evidence that anyone today is right. I doubt there will be in the future.

Who are we to re-write god? Who are we to decide for god?

If there is a singular god he must be amused by our confusion and intolerance. Or pissed at our waste of time worshiping a being that requires no worship.

The god I've created wants humans to think for themselves and advance, not tread in stagnant water.

P.S. I'm not done questioning, so I'll never be done with these thoughts.