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That's a false dichotomy for the vast majority of religious people. There are very few people that believe exclusively in faith healing and don't accept modern

That's a false dichotomy for the vast majority of religious people. There are very few people that believe exclusively in faith healing and don't accept modern medicine.

anthonyb 16y ago
Faith healing was just an example. You can substitute pretty much any "because God said so" explanation. I think the reason that the world makes sense for most people is because they have their adequacy levels set too high - they're too used to 'hand wavy' explanations and not having to actually think through things for themselves.
- kylemathews 16y ago
  I think that was augustl's point. Most atheist understand just as little about science as most religious people understand about God. And is there any difference really between a "because God said so" explanation and a "because the Doctor said so" explanation? To follow either, you must rely on faith in the goodness and wisdom of the instruction given as you don't fully understand the reasoning behind it. To the religious and science-skeptic alike, the explanations used by the other camp sounds "hand wavy". But Truth is Truth and both religion and science, if practiced well, will guide the earnest seeker along.
  - anthonyb 16y ago
    For the "because the Doctor said so" version, you can at least ask for an explanation. If you ask, there'll be a number of papers and/or scientific studies behind the decision and the doctor will be able to tell you their reasoning, which is normally straightforward ie. we can treat it like this, which gives you an x% chance of recovery, or like that which is x+y%
- anthonyb 16y ago
  I'm confused - why all the downvotes? My initial comment above is currently below the "Why isn't there a Cowboy Neal option?" It's not a false dichotomy at all, as far as I can see. If you take religion at face value, then of course modern medicine shouldn't work and faith healing should - one of these is going against the will of God after all. It's an adequate explanation most of the time... until you have to cure a disease.
alanh 16y ago
This always struck me as unfair - and as an indication that religious types haven't really studied their own beliefs. Either science is bunk and god answers prayer, or science works and you can use medicine. Of course, the decisions to go to church as use medicine and largely automatic and irrational / social for many.

That's a false dichotomy for the vast majority of religious people. There are very few people that believe exclusively in faith healing and don't accept modern medicine.

anthonyb 16y ago

Faith healing was just an example. You can substitute pretty much any "because God said so" explanation. I think the reason that the world makes sense for most people is because they have their adequacy levels set too high - they're too used to 'hand wavy' explanations and not having to actually think through things for themselves.

kylemathews 16y ago
I think that was augustl's point. Most atheist understand just as little about science as most religious people understand about God. And is there any difference really between a "because God said so" explanation and a "because the Doctor said so" explanation? To follow either, you must rely on faith in the goodness and wisdom of the instruction given as you don't fully understand the reasoning behind it. To the religious and science-skeptic alike, the explanations used by the other camp sounds "hand wavy". But Truth is Truth and both religion and science, if practiced well, will guide the earnest seeker along.
- anthonyb 16y ago
  For the "because the Doctor said so" version, you can at least ask for an explanation. If you ask, there'll be a number of papers and/or scientific studies behind the decision and the doctor will be able to tell you their reasoning, which is normally straightforward ie. we can treat it like this, which gives you an x% chance of recovery, or like that which is x+y%
anthonyb 16y ago
I'm confused - why all the downvotes? My initial comment above is currently below the "Why isn't there a Cowboy Neal option?" It's not a false dichotomy at all, as far as I can see. If you take religion at face value, then of course modern medicine shouldn't work and faith healing should - one of these is going against the will of God after all. It's an adequate explanation most of the time... until you have to cure a disease.

alanh 16y ago

This always struck me as unfair - and as an indication that religious types haven't really studied their own beliefs. Either science is bunk and god answers prayer, or science works and you can use medicine. Of course, the decisions to go to church as use medicine and largely automatic and irrational / social for many.