Do you blieve that religion is retarding scientific advance?

Question

Historically, there has been a division between religion and science. In some parts of the world now, people are trying to ban the teaching of evolution and other scientific theories an replace them with stories from a book rewritten so many times that it bearly resembles the texts that it was taken from. Also, if the religious population of the world spen all their praying/worshiping time thinkng about logical solutions to problems and studying science an engineering, do you think that the rate of scientific advance would increase?

For your information, I am a modern pagan. And before anyone strts, no, modern paganism is not a religion any more than the punk movement was.

Answer 1

Many religions do retard not only science, but the ppl that adhere to them. Your question is actually aimed at christianity (or the Abrahamic religions)...yet you have lumped the rest of religions in with them. There are many religious paths in the world that support science and are not threatened by advancements in understanding, but exalted by them. There are many religions that do not believe in "worshipping" and "submitting" to divinity. Your generalization of religions is retarding this discussion.


Pagan Rationalist

Answer 2

Religious authorities have impeded some science, but mainly back in the time of 16-17 Centuries. The problem was probably a lot worse in the Mohammedan world because the Koran recommends that you integrate religion and state, whereas there has nearly always been separate political authorities in christian countries.

I don't think there has been any real problem in the last few centuries. There was the Darwin evolution issue but it was a resistance of dislike of the ideas. And I think Darwin should have allowed for God slipping in changes and so on, since his theory discounts any factor than physical; he was overstating the argument. The ideas did have some bad results in the non-scientific realm and were in part responsible for the genocide against Jews, homsoexuals and disabled people in Nazi Germany.

Some great scientists have been christians and of other faiths. Newton was a unitarian, Faraday was a christian, Einstein a loosely theist Jew. There have been diehard atheists like Dawkins, but most are not as hard-set against God and religious belief as him. Good scientists avoid extremist attitudes, the "live and let live" approach is best for Science to develop in any society.

Answer 3

if you take the long view, the last 100 years are an anomaly. Religion was a great impetus for science. For example, the iron plow was invented in the early middle Ages by monks. Astronomy and Alchemy (which was the forerunner to chemistry) were inspired by the desire to understand the world, based on the idea that this was a way to understand God.

With regards to Galileo, without denying what he underwent, most scientists of his day disagreed with him, and this encouraged the Church to act against him as a public nuisance. On the other hand, Copernicus, who developed the theory for which Galileo adduced evidence, was a Catholic priest.

Bishop Nicholas Steno started the stratigraphy, the modern science of layers of rocks important to evolution. The monk Gregor Mendel started the modern understanding of genetics. Etc etc. The statement that religion is opposed to science is good for attacking religion, but is historically unfounded.

Answer 4

It always has. Galileo was condemned for herasy because he said that the sun was the center of the system rather than the earth the center of the universe. The church did not recant its viewpoint until the 60's when we put a man on the moon and could conclusively prove that he was right. There was a supernova in the middle ages that most of the world observed. Religious Europe did not record it because the church said that it was evil and to notice it got you boiled in oil.

Answer 5

Look at creationism and the effect it has on real science. People have to divert their attention from progress to deal with refuting nonsense.

Or look at this: somebody wrote a 44-page essay using the scientific method to completely demolish the Noah's Ark story:
http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/8619_issue_11_volume_4_number_1__3_12_2003.asp
granted, it is fun, but the time could have been used more constructively.

Or look at Kurt Wise, a young earth creationist. Studied at Harvard under Stephen J. Gould. Took a bible, cut out all the bits that couldn't support evolution. What he had left he couldn't pick up; it fell apart. AND THEN HE CHOSE FOR GOD. I could never forgive a religion that so corrupted a bright mind.

Answer 6

You God haters come in here all the time and tell Christians that there are virtually no christian scientist.. Now you come in here and say that Religion is a retarding influence on science? Even if all scienctists were people of faith they would work toward mankind's advancement... So why would people of no faith listen to someone, ANYONE, who wants to retard that advancement... You need to do some independent thought instead of falling for everything the school system is trying to brainwash you with... Jim

Answer 7

religion not only seeks to retard the progress of science, it actively seeks to eradicate it altogether. this is what the current intelligent design and creationist types are attempting to do. science directly threatens religion because it is based in fact, reason, logic and experience whereas religion is based on faith, dogma, and subordination. whenever science and religion meet on a subject, science always wins as in the case of evolution versus creation. i read once where if not for religion, the personal computer would have been invented no later than the 15th century!...think about that...where do you think humankind would be today if not for the negative, maladaptive affects of religion?

Answer 8

Scientific advance would increase but so would the risk of human destruction through science. Religion might be retarding scientific fact in some places but It can't be a bad thing. Science can be dangerous

Answer 9

Well like you said throughout history Religion has hindered the process of science and discovery. Galieo was hindered and faced great distain for his findings of the universe and the orbiting earth around the sun. Darwin, Newton, and pretty much anyone that found out things about science were looked down on and even threatended. The 'Devil' was said to be the cause of some unknown scientific processes and happenings that the theists couldnt' understand.

Answer 10

now problematic, utilizing "advanced." the answer is certain. This began lengthy before what we now time period as technology. case in point, the ancients said kinds contained in the sky and nature and got here up with causes for those. those causes weren't 'medical', in accordance to the regularly happening definition of the time period, besides the undeniable fact that it became the perfect they could do. All religions "evolve" and all religions are syncretistic. to respond to the question on your third paragraph; i imagine that is desirable to each and each of the mainstream denominations, inspite of the truth that i could savor phrasing it truly is truly a lot less slanted.