billvon,
No? You breathing in oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide isn't "truth?" DNA encoding genetic traits isn't "truth?" Interesting claim.
Biology is able to give a more indepth explanation of a process we already know (even if we aren't aware of the details), IOW the truth is already known to us.
Not learning biology means it will be very hard to understand any truths about biology.
I think, not learning biology means it will be very hard to understand the biological detail that biology provides.
If "elitist" means "someone who bothers to learn how the world works" - I will gladly take your insult as a compliment.
No it doesn't mean that.
Taking a biology class is, however, an excellent way to learn about biology.
I've already said this.
me said:
To say that one cannot know the truth because one hasn't taken a biology class, is to say that one doesn't know anything, and the biology student is a superior human being.
Listening to you whine about this is like listening to someone complain that they want lots of money but they don't want to do any work.
That's not whining. I'm showing you how crap systems work. It's the same with religious institutes, they say they are suprerior human beings if you don't accept their way of thinking (their way of thinking includes all aspects of life like yours).
Go to a community college; take a free class. Take a free online class. All it takes is your time.
If you can't be bothered, and ignorance doesn't bother you, then you don't have to. It's a free country.
Ordinarily it would surprise me that you can't see how exact your attitude is compared to a ''fundamental'' religious organisation, but I've got a good idea of how this psychology works now. Maybe you should relax from biology for a while and study some psychology.
me said:
Faith is not belief, and it is not based on ''no proof at all''
It may appear that way, but it isn't.
With faith there is no time, choice, or knowledge. Faith is something that kicks in, not something that lingers.
Me saying I have faith in God, means nothing until that faith is tested. Belief in something is based on what you already know, and make logical conclusion. That there is no proof, is a given, for ANY kind of belief (I hope I don't have to spoonfeed you the reasons why).
"God never did anything for me, and I've never seen any indication that he exists."
"I know, that's why you gotta have FAITH!"
What is this?
Some kind of cryptic code?
If you want to "carry through a situation" more knowledge is better than less.
Sure! But we don't have knowledge of everything, so some things have to be taken on faith until the reality of the situation becomes apparent. At that time we have knowledge.
If you have a serious infection and you "don't believe in biology" you're probably going to die.
People express their ''belief'' in biology by seeking the advice of someone who is knowledgable of biology, namely a doctor/physician.
If you do understand biology, and understand sterile technique, the use of antibiotics, the use of immune-system boosters etc the odds of making it through that situation go way up.
Not everyone has access to that body of knowledge (for various reasons), so it's makes sense to train people that do, to help the people that don't. This is the mark of an intelligent society.
Let's say you have two people who worry about losing their house, job and car in the future.
Person 1 goes to school, goes to college, gets an MD (or an RN degree, or an MBA, or even a Bsc in biology) and then gets a good job in a hospital.
Person 2 plays video games 14 hours a day and just "has faith" it will all work out.
It's not every situation where your training and knowledge is going to be specifically adequate, or you might not be in the right state of mind, or have the time, to think things through.
For example, if you can't swim, but have knowledge of the mechanics of how a body floats and moves through water, that knowledge may not be sufficient in the event of your boat capsizing. The best knowledge one could have for survival is knowing how to swim.
jan.
