Is it possible for a scientifically inclined person to have respect for religious minded people? If so how?

Question

It seems the more I educate myself the less tolerant I become to those with nonsensical ideals and belief systems. This causes problems as my family and some friends are deeply religious. As a pastime I do enjoy discussing all sorts of religions but it generally leaves me and others frustrated. I’m not looking to be preached at here as I was raised in a religious household, and at this point common sense tells me that it is all nonsense.

Answer 1

Because there are a lot of reasons for them to believe that way. They don't chose god out of intellectual reasons but because of emotional reasons. Also a lot has to do with the tradition in which they were raised. They were raised to believe it was "absolute truth" and then, to make it more difficult, with the morality that "to question this truth is sinful."

It's not willful ignorance to science. It's a lot of complex emotional and cultural ties that keeps them in.

Finally, I think a lot of them can compartmentalize very well. They are very intelligent and logical in most aspects of their lives. It's just the "religion" corner gets special treatment.

Answer 2

Of course it is possible. You just have to respect other people's right to choose their own beliefs. I think it is great that you are learning more about the world around you. Most people when they learn something new will share it with those around them. It seems this is where you are finding your problems. Discussing religion is frustrating because there rarely is anything that either side can say/do to change the other person's mind, yet most people will enter a religious discussion with that sort of purpose. I used to have the same problems you are facing and I learned to not pick fights and to keep religion (or a lack thereof) internal.

Answer 3

In knowing that most scientists were Christian, makes for good scientific ideas. The notion that Christians are either crazy or uneducated is pure Mis- information. Among them Were Newton, Einstein,Galileo, David Bellamy, Robert Boyle, James Simpson, Max Planck, Arnold Toynebee, Jean-Paul Atre, Somerset Maugham and hundreds more!

You may also be intrested in a Book called The Handwriting of God by Grant Jeffery, Evidence for the Defence by Josh Mac Dowell a former atheist and another atheist's Book called The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel.

You are intleratant because of a secular-humanist theory that everything is relative. They forgot to tell you that it is a Biblical Principal of equal and opposite reactions!

Answer 4

My apologies if I couldn't find a more polite way to phrase this, but I found your question arrogant and condescending. I realize that this probably wasn't your intention, but how would you react to someone asking "Is it possible for a religious minded person to have respect for scientifically inclined people?" Furthermore, it makes it sound like "scientifically inclined" and "religious minded" are mutually exclusive categories when some of the most distinguished scientists, both today and in times past, have held deep religious beliefs.

Answer 5

I don't understand at all. If science explains everything, then it explains religion too. I think you're looking at competing jargons (which only means that you're vaguely criminal in your outlook on life).

Here are some comparisons:
Binary nodes in cladistics (evolutionary methodology) could be black and white thinking (not recommended) in lifestyle.

Do you know the role of words and other concepts in organising the human mind? For science to be used in a spirit of love, for example, as most belief systems would advocate for, it needs to be applicable to subjects like this, doesn't it? For example, analogy is linked to facial recognition. Analogy has to do with a sense of proportion and matching points. It is not as forceful or assertive as metaphor, however. Metaphor means bearing the meaning of one word over to another. Facial recognition also has to do with the visuospatial sketchpad of Baddeley's model of working memory. Science has to do with a body of observable facts collected using the scientific method. There is the potential here for science to be limited to a comprehensive approach - comprehension means "with grasping" and appears to refer to a set of information - rather than one that is truly literary. Maybe that's the cross from phenomena to noumena that scientists don't want to make.

I'm just starting out on a possible connection between feng shui, psychology and the space-time continuum. Experiment, as a word, is related to experience, which means "ex- peril." Feng shui combines the stability and internal psychological energy of water with the action, fervous and enthusiasm of wind that represents change. Hypnosis affects the behaviour of blood in the body and also affects the psychological state as it increases the likelihood of substances of sufficiently small molecular weight being able to enter through the blood brain barrier. Therefore, it affects the perception of change in the environment as hypnosis has a side effect of subjective time distortion. Time seems to go very slowly and then after the session is over, the whole thing seems to have taken only a short time.

Just investigating the scientific basis of hypnosis and obsessive compulsive disorders alone would answer a lot of questions in relation to religion.

Answer 6

I am inclined to say you are a self-righteous idiot.
Religion does not in any way contradict science. I am a practicant jew and at the same time a med student. And no, I don't believe the world was created in 6 days, I believe those six days are a metaphore trying to explain evolution with way less knowledge than we possess now.

Answer 7

ordinary specific, yet i could say it relies upon. maximum religions shop on with the golden rule (Wikipedia it in case you're unfamiliar). If one faith did no longer and observed as for carnage than i does no longer know the religion, via fact the religion does no longer know me. so a techniques as that is going, people who're of distinctive religions or atheist ought to comprehend that no person is right or incorrect. no longer something has been shown previous a lifestyles like doubt and any ignorant person ought to tell someone their concept equipment is inaccurate is inaccurate approximately lifestyles. Ah the only element I forgot to characteristic is maximum religions are sort and delicate its the folk interior the religion that ignore that message.

Answer 8

Well... I don't. I find religion to be primitive and without rational thought. I try to be tolerant most of the time, although sometimes I fail at that.

I once read the following in Y!A:

why would I be interested in the history and beliefs of pre-historic semi-nomadic, goat herders?

It is a purely rational and logical conclusion to draw.

Answer 9

You do it out of respect for a different opinion. That shouldn't really be so hard.

My parents were happily married for 60 years. She an Atheist, he a minister. It's all about respecting that not everyone will agree with your opinion/belief, nor should they have to

Answer 10

Sure, it's possible. You needn't respect their irrational/nonsensical viewpoints, but it's still perfectly possible (and best) to respect them at people. :)

I understand that it's hard not to just go "whyyy do you believe this nonsense?!" sometimes, but it's a balancing act. I'm sure you could handle it if you keep the above in mind. :)