The Big Bang: Why is it still being taught?

[peter grimes]

It's observational confirmation of a prediction made by the physics and mathematics of the Inflationary Big Bang theory.

 

[Kyriakos]

Any details? (or a bit more specific info?)

 

[El_Machinae]

We're discussing it in a different thread. Basically start here. Click the arrow next to Quackers's name to be taken to his post in that thread.

Btw, a huge physics story is blowing up. The BBC article states it's in noble prize territory.

 

[warpus]

Is it even possible to divorce the two? More to the point, does it even matter? Are people moral because a sky-god told them to be moral, or are people moral for another reason?

I hazard to guess that a lot of so-called moral and religious people would be just as moral without their religion, and the immoral and religious people just as immoral without their religion. The difference being that they both have the same excuse as long as they can say "God told me to."

There's no way of knowing unless you draw up an elaborate and hard to put together study.. But I have come across people who use punishment from God as an incentive to be moral. It follows that if the God element were removed, they would act less moral, in whatever capacity.

 

[El_Machinae]

They believe they'd be less moral. Either I believe their own opinions, or not. It's kinda scary when they say that. "Good" I think "Believe in God, then"

 

[Tahuti]

There's no way of knowing unless you draw up an elaborate and hard to put together study.. But I have come across people who use punishment from God as an incentive to be moral. It follows that if the God element were removed, they would act less moral, in whatever capacity.

A few obnoxious Muslims and Christians claimed the same. Most religious people are definitely not that way though.

The way I see it, the primary function of a creed is to give people an overarching goal to work towards in life, not necessarily help people directly with secular pursuits, like creating a moral code, conjuring hamburgers or have a lightning bolt strike at your enemies.

 

[warpus]

A few obnoxious Muslims and Christians claimed the same. Most religious people are definitely not that way though.

The way I see it, the primary function of a creed is to give people an overarching goal to work towards in life, not necessarily help people directly with secular pursuits, like creating a moral code, conjuring hamburgers or have a lightning bolt strike at your enemies.

Yeah, but you live in Germany or something, right? I live in Canada, which is right snug up against a country with a large population of people who use religion to guide them in every aspect of life, including morality.

 

[Tahuti]

Yeah, but you live in Germany or something, right? I live in Canada, which is right snug up against a country with a large population of people who use religion to guide them in every aspect of life, including morality.

Netherlands, though its close.

The US has put religion in the service of commerce. Actually, it really hasn't anything to do with religion to begin with.

 

[Takhisis]

We're discussing it in a different thread. Basically start here. Click the arrow next to Quackers's name to be taken to his post in that thread.

Subscribed!

 

[Formaldehyde]

They should come up with a new Bible where god created science. That way no matter what is discovered he is just unveiling another intentional mystery.

 

[Kyriakos]

They should come up with a new Bible where god created science. That way no matter what is discovered he is just unveiling another intentional mystery.

Just switch to the archaic religion and claim that "God eternally makes geometric calculations", as Pythagoras noted

(Θεός αεί γεωμετρε&#943

 

[timtofly]

They should come up with a new Bible where god created science. That way no matter what is discovered he is just unveiling another intentional mystery.

In other words create your own God, instead of accepting or rejecting the one that already existed before the Big Bang?

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Instead of accepting or rejecting the one that already existed before the Big Bang?

So God exist as a given. The question is do you accept or reject it.

 

[El_Machinae]

In other words create your own God, instead of accepting or rejecting the one that already existed before the Big Bang?

No, a new Bible. We cannot create gods, only get closer to understanding the real ones.

 

[Crezth]

There's no way of knowing unless you draw up an elaborate and hard to put together study.. But I have come across people who use punishment from God as an incentive to be moral. It follows that if the God element were removed, they would act less moral, in whatever capacity.

This is a somewhat dubious claim. For instance, it's not a sure thing that people who feel cowed by the wrath of God would also not be moral on their own. There's a difference between fearing God and respecting your fellow man, as it were.

 

[Flying Pig]

I'm not sure, I do believe that the law of incentives is reasonably iron, though I admit it may only apply in a small way. If you're 5% likely to steal when nobody's watching if you believe in a vengeful God, you might only be 6% likely after renouncing your faith, but I don't believe that the probability doesn't change at all.

 

[warpus]

This is a somewhat dubious claim. For instance, it's not a sure thing that people who feel cowed by the wrath of God would also not be moral on their own. There's a difference between fearing God and respecting your fellow man, as it were.

It's a dubious claim when applied to a single person. Some people will, some people won't. For individual claims you just don't know until it happens so it's pointless to predict.

But in the end some people will and some people won't and on average immorality in the group goes up.

 

[Manfred Belheim]

There's no way of knowing unless you draw up an elaborate and hard to put together study.. But I have come across people who use punishment from God as an incentive to be moral. It follows that if the God element were removed, they would act less moral, in whatever capacity.

You also have to throw the incitement by God to commit IMmoral acts* into the equation as well of course. And it follows from that that removal of the God element can lead to people acting more moral. Now you have to balance the two forces out and see which wins.

(*Religious wars, genocide, human sacrifice, jihad, general intolerance of the unlike, etc)

 

[timtofly]

How much of that is God and how much of that is human nature though? While it is natural that even God requites death, death in and of itself is not a moral entity. While evil produces death, is that death moral in nature or the natural outcome of humanity if left to their own innocuous ability to be number one?

 

[Crezth]

It's a dubious claim when applied to a single person. Some people will, some people won't. For individual claims you just don't know until it happens so it's pointless to predict.

But in the end some people will and some people won't and on average immorality in the group goes up.

False dichotomy. How do you know some people won't become more moral without religion, and average immorality stays the same?