How far would science be right now if religion had not held us back for so long?

Answer 1

Marleigh writes "How far would we be right now if science would spend its time doing something valuable instead of trying to disprove the undeniable truths of the Bible?"

Pfft.
What possible good to you think it does to lie about this, kid?

You know perfectly well that scientists don't spend their time trying to disprove the Bible, and you know perfectly well that quite a bit of the Bible (including all of the central claims) is not only deniable but demonstrably false.

Answer 2

WE WOULD PROBABLY BE BLOWN UP BY NOW!!! Yes, religion has held us back but thank goodness for that. Just because a person is a scientist does not mean he is not morally corrupt. I look at religion and science as check and balances. Sometime religion put science in check and at other times science put religion in check. Both serves a purpose. One could argue that if scientist did not discover the potential of the atom we wouldn't have to deal with the proliferation of nuclear weapons now. And I mean if no scientist Germany, Russian, or American scientist. I don't see any benefits from nuclear energy at this time except a threat to are environment and nuclear wars. At least religion did not seek something so horrendous to mankind.

Answer 3

Probably right where we are today. Religion doesn't "hold back science". Science started to advance quickly when people started having more free time. In the "old days" the vast majority of people had to work all day long just to stay alive. As populations learned how to get more food from the land, there were fewer people needed to work the land, and that enabled more people to sit and think (free time) and get inspired. When the railroads came in during the early 19th century, this enabled food to be transported further and thus more people could move to the cities, and communicate more effectively with each other, and science advances. I'm not a religious person at all, but I certainly can't blame organized religion for slowing down scientific advances more than a few years. It's not as though Galileo's ideas (for example) didn't percolate through educated society at the time, even if the church did attempt to "hold it back"

Answer 4

Actually, How far would science be right now if the believe in God did not prevail? it was God faering men like Gallileo, Hearenus, John Salk Benjiman Franklin, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Isaac Newton and so many more that were not just "God Fearing" men but Christains. These all advanced the sciences on the one fact Albert Einstien, himself, pointed out. " True Science discovers God Behind Every Door". "Religion" may have held it back, but God pushes it forward.

God Bless!

Answer 5

I remember a commentary made by Carl Sagan in his "Cosmos" series. He remarked how after reaching amazing heights in science and philosophy, Hellenic culture gave it up (in his opinion) for mysticism. He wondered how different life would be today if they had continued their development of scientific thought.

In more recent years, we have found the remnant of a codex written by Archimedes. The original scroll, written some 2,200 years ago had been been copied to parchment. About 700 years ago, a monk who was looking for materials for a new prayer book had scraped the original text off the parchment, cut the book in two and re-stitched it for his use.

By modern methods, we've been able to uncover the original text and the results were amazing. According to the text, Archimedes was making the first steps in developing Calculus. Because this document was not understood by the the later archivists, it was not considered a think of value (it was, after all, a pagan work) and it was sacrificed for the sake of a prayer book. We unfortunately do not have the other half of Archimedes book.

In talking of the preservation of the works of the Hellenic scientists and philosophers, some books were preserved by the Catholic Church, but most were lost to Europe until after they were found to have been preserved in the Islamic Nations. The discovery of the Hellenic works preserved by the Muslims was one of the factors that sparked the Renaissance.

How many other such insights were lost because our ancestors had allowed religion to trump science and we fell into ignorance. This is one reason it is so important that science instructors are not prohibited from teaching science.

Answer 6

Probably where we are right now. It's been a while since it was ok to burn heretics at the stake. Organized religion has to resort to handing out free pamphlets and misrepresenting the laws of physics to keep their flock in the dark. But real science is doing just fine.

Answer 7

You mean false religion?
Before the theory of evolution came along tremendous scientific discoveries were being made. I guess the study of evolution has helped in the medical field a lot (the study of diseases and they evolve in order to be immune to antibodies for ex.).
However, is "scientific" progress always good? Maybe now the making of science into a religion is holding us back.

I think religion held people back because it didn't let anyone have any incentive to study science. However, "studying" science too much might have the same result.

Answer 8

A lot further than we are now. Stem Cell research is just a small part of what people don't want to deal with. How is trying to save lives from already dead humans a sin???? And what about the constitution, separation of government and religion???? That hasn't held up much lately!!!!! The laws that are being passed by our government and our states, intrude on the religious beliefs of our schools, the parents and families of those schools. Enough is enough. Can't we learn by the religious beliefs of Iraq to see that using religion to govern by is so wrong and so useless.

Answer 9

i gave you a star.
that's a pretty cool question. i am a firm believer in christianity, but literalists of the Bible drive me crazy... the world is more than 7000 years old, carbon dating proves it.

yet, with that in mind, i don't like how scientists have complete control over what people think. if a scientist says it, and can make up a believable explaination, then it's automatically proven a fact. that kind of power isn't right for any one group of people to have.

i mean, i believe most of what scientists have proven, just because it makes sense, but there are some things i'm sceptical of...

Answer 10

We probably wouldn't be around if there wasn't religion. We would have WW2 in the dark ages, except that it wouldn't culminate in a Cold War, it would culminate in a Nuclear Armaggedon.

Religion had kept in line everyone who would be murderous and evil otherwise. Still does, to a good degree. Religion, just like everything else, has it's birth, its natural and useful existance, and death when it is no longer needed.

Personaly, science (specificaly, psychology and sociology) have shown me why the premises of religions ("Love thy neighbour") are valid. Hence I no longer need religion to be good.

Also, actively seeking to destroy religion is counterproductive. To defy it and challenge it is good, but to want its immediate destruction here and now is being naive and foolish.

Answer 11

Very very far advanced by now...

However, we still have to maintain some sense of morality and ethics, etc. Because there should be limits placed on certain areas of scientific development, etc etc.

eg.
Such as not developing more weapons of mass destruction.
Not making clones of whole people.
These kind of issues...