The Debilitating Effect of Taking Genesis Literally

[Diogenes]

The proposition for debate is that when one takes the tales of Genesis literally, one becomes intellectually disabled, at least temporarily. Taking Genesis literally requires one to reject biology (which includes evolution) and other sciences in favor of 'magic.' Geology and radiometric dating have to be rejected since the Earth formed only about 6000 years ago, during the same week the Earth was made (in a single day).

Much of the debate in the topic of Science and Religion consists of theists who insist on a literal interpretation of Genesis rejecting basic science. Most of the resulting debates are not worth engaging in.

[dad1]

I had to stop there. No one can use science. but you can use science.

Science cannot. I can because I use the record Good gave us as well as a little science. Simple.

"Science is too small" is a meaningless phrase.

No it clearly illustrates that science is too small to deal with the past and God and spiritual things. Crystal clear.

The scientific method was developed by humans in order to investigate everything with a built in mechanism to sift out biases and errors.

Nonsense, Physical science cannot be thought to 'investigate everything' when it cannot deal at all with the spiritual aspect of life. It is like asking a blind woman to investigate colors.

Have you got something better as a replacement method?

Who said any such thing was needed? All we need to do is flush twice.

[brunumb]

Creatures do seem to have changed a lot over time. I could even allow the possibility that some dinos evolved from birds. Maybe. Maybe not. I don't think we know. But if they did, then that happened in a short known time frame. It would only have taken at the most centuries, and possible only years or even months or maybe even weeks for all we know. My own opinion is maybe even days! So we have the two known factors in the equation. One is a lot of evolving did go on (all to created kinds of course) and the other factor is that all these changes happened in a short time.

No. They are not known factors. They are merely opinion, and that opinion is based on the prior conclusion that the Bible account is true and factual. It's like cutting the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to make them fit into the picture that you want to see at the end. There is absolutely no basis for claiming that evolution occurred at an incredibly rapid rate then (but somehow not now) other than to fit it into your chosen scenario. Please provide some biological or other scientific rationale for that happening.

[brunumb]

Try admitting that only the beliefs foisted onto the evidence is what the cult of so called science uses to fabricate it's fantasy dream date models!

So what is motivating the millions of people working in science and trying to advance our knowledge and understanding of the world to fabricate all these alleged dreams and fantasies?

[brunumb]

The real world includes more than the little sand box science plays in. They specialize in ignoring evidence! They specialize in molesting evidence with their beliefs! There should be a heavy fine for them even using the word evidence!

The universe is not a little sand box. Science is not a thing as such. It is the method by which we investigate this universe in such a way that we make an effort to eliminate biases and errors, particularly where ideas may be compromised by strongly held religious beliefs. It makes its progress through the collection and analysis of data which is then used as evidence to support any theories that arise. It is the polar opposite of religion which merely asserts and commands that those assertions are accepted as fact.

[brunumb]

The stories of all the spirits from ancient Egypt for example prove that spirits were accepted as part of life and reality!

Which does nothing to demonstrate that those spirits are in any way real. People believe in false things all the time.

[brunumb]

You do not get to wave away evidence by trying to limit the definition of evidence to your little circle of belief based so called science.

One of the strengths of the scientific method is that it rejects the influence of prior beliefs in assessing any evidence. Religion rejects any evidence that does not support its prior conclusions.

[dad1]

Which does nothing to demonstrate that those spirits are in any way real. People believe in false things all the time.

The repeated observations of all history count for something. The evidences in their lives count. The prophesies that are now history count. You do not get to wave it all away because 'some' people believe weird things.

[brunumb]

The God of the bible is actually well known. Tested. Proven. Observed. Repeated.

That is far from the truth. It is only a matter of faith, and faith can allow one to believe anything regardless of whether it is true or false.

Wrong I know Him. So do untold millions of others and we have seen him work. Over and over. You do not get to declare the experience of most of mankind with the spiritual world false! You only get to plead abysmal ignorance.

No doubt you believe that. Millions have believed in other deities and have had experiences that contradict your beliefs. You do not get to declare that they are wrong. So far no one of any religious persuasion has demonstrated the reality of any spiritual world. On the other hand the phenomenon of self-delusion is an established reality.

[dad1]

One of the strengths of the scientific method is that it rejects the influence of prior beliefs in assessing any evidence. Religion rejects any evidence that does not support its prior conclusions.

That is fiction. It inserts beliefs! It depends solely on beliefs for origin sciences. It selectively accepts belief based principles. In fact it is little more than a fantasy factory that molds fables out of beliefs!

[brunumb]

One of the strengths of the scientific method is that it rejects the influence of prior beliefs in assessing any evidence. Religion rejects any evidence that does not support its prior conclusions.

That is fiction. It inserts beliefs! It depends solely on beliefs for origin sciences. It selectively accepts belief based principles. In fact it is little more than a fantasy factory that molds fables out of beliefs!

And of course religion is none of that. We seem to have entered into the deepest waters of science denial and there is nothing to be gained from thrashing around in them any longer. More productive enterprises await. Science continues to shed light on our world and I hope that one day it will set you free.