Before I start, let it be known that I am an apatheist, I don't care if there is or was a god(s) or not and I don't for one minute believe any religious text of any kind. Landfill material if I ever saw any.
My religious friends tend to believe in places that exist in another realm, such as heaven and hell. Many scientists believe in extra dimensions, parallel universes, particles we can't see or particles we believe are there but can't find, etc. To a lesser extent we have people who believe in a hereafter with ghosts and other wispy manifestations and we have people who fervently believe that cryptozoology will eventually offer up a Sasquatch or Nessie.
What's the difference? Why should I care what other people think? Should I only worry if one of those groups threatens my existence? Or what? I hate religion but I love science. I don't believe in ghosts or mysterious monsters but I believe in science and where its going.
I'm not sure if a devoutly religious scientist can actually function at 100%. Just an opinion I've formed after many years on the planet. How is it then that people like myself chastise others for their beliefs? I mean its fun to logic and reason with them but I never seem to receive counter logic that supports destroying my own. What is the fundamental difference between a believer in science and any other belief?
I think it has something to do with proving your stance with known facts. Those facts must be physical to mean anything. Mathematics I would include. Reasoning and logic are based on facts so why do those who believe in things that have no physical proof insist on ignoring the facts to satisfy their belief?
Maybe this belongs in the philosophy section.
My religious friends tend to believe in places that exist in another realm, such as heaven and hell. Many scientists believe in extra dimensions, parallel universes, particles we can't see or particles we believe are there but can't find, etc. To a lesser extent we have people who believe in a hereafter with ghosts and other wispy manifestations and we have people who fervently believe that cryptozoology will eventually offer up a Sasquatch or Nessie.
What's the difference? Why should I care what other people think? Should I only worry if one of those groups threatens my existence? Or what? I hate religion but I love science. I don't believe in ghosts or mysterious monsters but I believe in science and where its going.
I'm not sure if a devoutly religious scientist can actually function at 100%. Just an opinion I've formed after many years on the planet. How is it then that people like myself chastise others for their beliefs? I mean its fun to logic and reason with them but I never seem to receive counter logic that supports destroying my own. What is the fundamental difference between a believer in science and any other belief?
I think it has something to do with proving your stance with known facts. Those facts must be physical to mean anything. Mathematics I would include. Reasoning and logic are based on facts so why do those who believe in things that have no physical proof insist on ignoring the facts to satisfy their belief?
Maybe this belongs in the philosophy section.