Science and Religion
Science and Religion, again
Getting rid of chiropractic (or, for that matter, Hulda and her ilk) is about as realistic a goal as getting rid of religion in general. Appealing idea, but unworkable---far too many ardent followers.
My reply:
This statement seems to equate ideals of faith-based alternative and potentially fraudulent health practices with all of religion. I believe science and religion can coexist harmoniously and that religion will always provide a necessary fiber of human society that can't be supplanted by scientific derived data. The danger is in doing so, or substituting or confusing science with religious faith or religious faith with science. This is what we should get rid of.
Some of the faithful may need to reassess the purpose of religion in their lives. Despite similarities, there is a distinction between religious faith and the religious-like faith of some quackeries and pseudoscience.
Religious faith has more to do with such as the following:
1. Save the soul
2. Establish identity in the universe
3. Teach to have charity to fellowman
4. Provide direction in coping with life's trials
Religious-like faith, superstition, and pseudoscience, as is seen in much of (sc)alternative medicine, has more to do with such as the following:
1. Provide simple explanations of nature's mysteries
2. Reveal biologic data not understood by man
3. Dictate a rite that will grant health or wealth or wishes
Not all religion is pre-occupied with demonization of disbelievers. Zeal is a likely companion of faith based belief, but it is not always expressed as discontent to unbelievers.
We can, and should, broad-stroke all in medicine that is not verifiable as religion; but, we can't bucket all religion as fraud, or no better.
By the way, the late (and greatly lamented) Stephen J. Gould put forth an idea he called "Non-overlapping Magisteria." I recommend his works (even ifyou aren't into paleontology) and I find his concept very useful when dealing with people where religion Vs. science is important.
Getting rid of chiropractic (or, for that matter, Hulda and her ilk) is about as realistic a goal as getting rid of religion in general. Appealing idea, but unworkable---far too many ardent followers.
My reply:
This statement seems to equate ideals of faith-based alternative and potentially fraudulent health practices with all of religion. I believe science and religion can coexist harmoniously and that religion will always provide a necessary fiber of human society that can't be supplanted by scientific derived data. The danger is in doing so, or substituting or confusing science with religious faith or religious faith with science. This is what we should get rid of.
Some of the faithful may need to reassess the purpose of religion in their lives. Despite similarities, there is a distinction between religious faith and the religious-like faith of some quackeries and pseudoscience.
Religious faith has more to do with such as the following:
1. Save the soul
2. Establish identity in the universe
3. Teach to have charity to fellowman
4. Provide direction in coping with life's trials
Religious-like faith, superstition, and pseudoscience, as is seen in much of (sc)alternative medicine, has more to do with such as the following:
1. Provide simple explanations of nature's mysteries
2. Reveal biologic data not understood by man
3. Dictate a rite that will grant health or wealth or wishes
Not all religion is pre-occupied with demonization of disbelievers. Zeal is a likely companion of faith based belief, but it is not always expressed as discontent to unbelievers.
We can, and should, broad-stroke all in medicine that is not verifiable as religion; but, we can't bucket all religion as fraud, or no better.
By the way, the late (and greatly lamented) Stephen J. Gould put forth an idea he called "Non-overlapping Magisteria." I recommend his works (even ifyou aren't into paleontology) and I find his concept very useful when dealing with people where religion Vs. science is important.
posted by nawledge at
7:08 PM
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