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I'm not sure why endeavors wholly separate from the practice of religion should be considered to reflect upon the state of religious practice. Surely one can b
by roc 17y ago
I'm not sure why endeavors wholly separate from the practice of religion should be considered to reflect upon the state of religious practice.
Surely one can be religious and practice science. But in what denomination of which religion is it a requirement?
The non-religious have performed countless similar studies on religious experience, efficacy of prayer, etc. Are you suggesting their activities reflect on the state of religious practice in the modern world, simply because their subject matter is related to religious practice?
- Alex3917 17y agoScience isn't separate from religious practice, but rather it's one of our contemporary religions. Only instead of the ten commandments, you start with the unprovable beliefs that there is nothing supernatural, the universe can be explained entirely through natural laws, we can learn about these natural laws through observation and measurement, the world exists as we see it and is not an illusion, etc. So in regards to the academic studies on the efficacy of prayer, I would consider these studies to be part of modern religious belief rather than separate from it.
- scott_s 17y agoSee Eliezer Yudkowsky's The Fallacy of Gray, HN discussion and essay: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1147767 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1147767
- Alex3917 17y agoI don't disagree with you at all. If you look at a lot of modern religious thought though, the assumptions are usually just as sound as the assumptions behind science. In fact, they are usually the same plus or minus one, with well-grounded reasons behind any diffs.