03-23-2008, 03:59 PM
Many religions have sacred books. It is an offence against the religion's principles to doubt the word of the sacred book. The authority of the book is absolute.
To the scientist, no authority can be absolute, and everything we claim to know must be questioned. Only repeatable demonstration can verify a statement, and any counter-example requires the re-assessment of the statement.
Limited experiments show that unsupported objects fall to the earth. Why is a helium balloon an exception? This needs us to show that air can support a balloon. Astronimy shows that celestial objects tend to fall towards the sun ... and so understanding progresses, because scientific theories are always being criticised and modified.
However, to the religious, there has been one perfect revelation, and this was described by someone hundreds of years ago. No criticism and no modification can be accepted.
By the way, not all religions follow the same revelation.
This makes it difficult for a scientist to be religious.
To the scientist, no authority can be absolute, and everything we claim to know must be questioned. Only repeatable demonstration can verify a statement, and any counter-example requires the re-assessment of the statement.
Limited experiments show that unsupported objects fall to the earth. Why is a helium balloon an exception? This needs us to show that air can support a balloon. Astronimy shows that celestial objects tend to fall towards the sun ... and so understanding progresses, because scientific theories are always being criticised and modified.
However, to the religious, there has been one perfect revelation, and this was described by someone hundreds of years ago. No criticism and no modification can be accepted.
By the way, not all religions follow the same revelation.
This makes it difficult for a scientist to be religious.
