Is Religion holding humanity back from progress?

Question

What NEW understanding of the universe has Religion given us? Why does Religion hold research and progress back?

Scientific research has expanded our knowledge of the universe and the place of the human species within it. Human inquiry is now able to advance and to have its findings confirmed by science and reason, while the metaphysical and theological speculations of the past have made little or no progress. The discoveries of astronomy, physics, relativity theory, and quantum mechanics have increased our understanding of the universe — from the scale of micro-particles to that of galaxies...

Answer 1

Just because something is NEW, does it necessasarily mean it's better?

Has the scientific and technological change really been an advacement - we have a hole in the ozone layer, global warming, levels of pollution that the world has never known - species of animals and plants becoming extinct every day.

What does it mean to be human? Are the sciences really answering these questions? What about the arts? Don't they make a significant contribution to the human condition?

Isn't there some type of behaviour that can be called spiritual? And haven't many humans embodied that behaviour resulting in the benefit of all their neighbors?

Just messing with you . . .sorry ..

Answer 2

I am an atheist but I am not sure that they are entirely responsible for holding science back. Alot of science is held back by corporate greed. What would happen to the profits if there were cures for all the diseases? The industries serving these diseases would go broke. We couldn't have that. Science blows alot of wind up everyone's behind just like the religious freaks. You are no better with your hypocrisy. What, are we to believe science will create some perfect world some day with all the answers to all the questions? Sounds just like those religious fanatics. When will science lose it's arrogance and say once in a while that it just doesn't have an answer instead of perpetuating different theories that conflict with each other and with the religious ones? How many scientists live off the fat by studying nonsense that they know is bull and get paid for it just like a preacher bumming for donations? The scientific community hides and no one hears of their failures. The government keeps handing over money to science parasites that don't do their job. Remember the monks that made great scientific discoveries? They were Christians and discovered alot in the name of science. Don't be so arrogant in your ignorance.

Answer 3

Honestly I think not. Certainly there exist plenty of conflicting beliefs, however that doesn't answer your question. Scientific, genetic creations are advancing probably at a higher rate than the world is aware of. The world will see many mysteries solved. When? Granted some research is restricted inn the US, but not other countries. Should for example Japan begin genetically changing, altering unborn life in a positive manner, we would have no choice but to follow suite. Plus please realize many new scientific discoveries are monetarily driven. The world as a whole is driven by financial gain. From the top on down.

Answer 4

Religion is holding nothing back. Science is moving along nicely at it's own pace and society is gaining more knowledge and progress that it really needs. Who said electrical gadgets and inventions were the greatest things on earth? We are still depleting the ozone, killing animals and damaging ecostructures with the byproducts of our oh so important progress. Yep , sure would hate to have to go back to the days when people actually had to get up from their chairs to do something, food was prepared at home with no preservatives, additives, or MSG. There were no telephones so you actually had to walk around a little to see how your friends were doing. The internet and long 60 hour a week jobs had not come around and people really did spend time with their families.

Answer 5

From the time of Galileo when he discovered the earth was not the center of the universe, through today as religious scholars continue to try and debunk evolution, religion has been an enemy of science. If America had not thrown off the chains of superstition and made the first great secular country, there would be not telling how backwards the world would be today.

Answer 6

Science, at its best, teaches us about the world we live in. Everything you wrote in your question is true.

However deeper scientific Knowledge does not necessarily mean progress. The science that makes the Internet, cellphones etc. possible is making it possible for us to be more detached from other human beings. In other words, science can alienate us from what it means to be human: our relationships with other people (and in my opinion, God).

Religion can, in mis-guided fear, speculate about questions that it has no business answering. It attempts to give pseudo-scientific answers based on texts that where never meant to be read literally (Many works of the Bible are extremely beautiful when read as literature and not texts books. And the Tao Te Jing is gorgeous). It is the fear that if science and religion can not co-inhabit the same space.

However, religion, at its best, teaches humans to be humans. It points past money, politics, and science to a reality in which humans commune with one another, not in competition or symbolic interaction, but face to face in love.

That is the progress I hope for.

Answer 7

You just said that our knowledge and understanding of the universe has been expanded and human inquiry has advanced and had its findings confirmed by science and reason, so religion can't be holding things back to much. You just answered your own question. No.

Answer 8

Not so much as the days of Bruno and Galileo. Great minds no longer have their tongues nailed down nor are they burned alive in a flame started by their own writings. Progress comes slow where there is a "god" interfering.

Answer 9

"religion" is only the excuse... it is mankinds ego and greed that is the problem.
As to the "scientific" issue... By my Faith all science is from God...thus all science is good. I t is man's mucking up God's science that is causeing all the problems there as well... again, ego and greed... mankind dose not understandan a % of God's science and abuses that % he dose know... if man would use God's science as He intends then all of mankind would be living in peace and plenty... But, then there is political BS...again with the ego and greed... and on andonandonandon..............

Answer 10

Grace unto you, and peace,
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Law is what is holding back grace unto you.
For law added makes grace "no more grace",
as death added to life makes life no more life.

Consider scientists are now complaining,
the gov't changes their scientific findings,
else they don't get more gov't research $.

Consider a ww scientific survey of all men,
proved there's one thing common to man,
and that one thing is a legend, of the flood.

But I say one other thing common to man,
unawareness about the biblical flood story:
http://www.godshew.org/ShewBread8.htm#Noah

Our Father, deliver us from evil: Mt 6:13
We are delivered from the law: Rom 7:6
What remaineth is global awareness of it.

For Christ our Saviour may have abolished law.
But God our Saviour will notably have two things:
All men saved "AND" all men aware what from.
http://www.godshew.org/RevelatorySermons6.htm

It's science that finds what's evident from evidence.
And there is ample "evidence" to make it "evident":
that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God.

The GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ with you all. Amen.