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Many men of science throughout history have been religious. Isaac Newton was devout adherent to a related religion that also demands blind belief, but clearly

Many men of science throughout history have been religious. Isaac Newton was devout adherent to a related religion that also demands blind belief, but clearly that didn't stop him from contributing to science. Matters are never so simple in real life. People are complicated, and their systems of beliefs no less so. These apparent contradictions or paradoxes are easy to find if you go looking for them.

drieddust 6y ago
I am speaking about any religion. My comment is with respect to Islamic worldview. Islam is different from Christianity and other faiths in terms that it does not allow adding or removing anything into Quran so if Quran says Earth is flat, it needs to stay flat evidence be damned. Christianity on the other-hand does not have this injunction against the progress. Rome and Pope were keeping the scientific thoughts suppressed by force but the scripture itself did not prohibit new interpretations and revisions.
- bigbubba 6y ago
  In real life, if you go meet a few, I am quite sure you will find that many Muslims do not take their scripture literally. It is the real world application of a religion by any particular adherent that impacts society, not what you happen to think the associated text dictates. Passages are regularly ignored or reinterpreted by adherents of religions to suit their personal needs or desires. An Islamic politician who wants to promote literacy can find plenty of support for that agenda in his religious texts. And a politician who opposes that agenda can also find support for his agenda in those same texts. That's the nature of the beast. Revising the text itself may be forbidden but that doesn't mean the interpretation and practice of the religion are immutable traits, universal to all adherents.
  - drieddust 6y ago
    > In real life, if you go meet a few, I am quite sure you will find that many Muslims do not take their scripture literally. My answer is three parts so please bear with me. Firstly I understand your argument but then why you do not see any other community carrying out beheading to defend their religion. If this is the state of affairs today then you need to imagine how it would have been centuries back. Are you saying they were progressing and suddenly became regressive in modern era? What would explain that theory? Secondly Christians, Hindus, Buddhists also exists in large numbers and Jews are the most prosecuted community. I do not see them carrying out random suicide attacks. How do you explain this behavior? Thirdly Every faith have seen voices to reform vs other major faiths. Why don't you see any major reforms going on in Islam? Are they perfect and don't have anything to reform? What there isn't any major movement from within Islam against polygamy, halala, barbaric punishments, degraded status of women and minorities. Note: Strangely I was stopped from replying by hacker new algo because I was apparently posting too fast. I don't know why posting 4-5 messages over an hour should be considered "fast."
    - random134940 6y ago
      There is enough data on the contrary. Riots in Delhi during President Trump's visit, lynchings of Muslims suspected of eating beef in India, dont we know the history.
    - dang 6y ago
      Did you not see my several replies to you in this thread? Posting like this after we explicitly asked you to stop will get you banned on HN. I'm not going to ban you right now, because I want to make sure that you saw the warnings. But please don't post any more religious flamewar or anything that remotely resembles religious flamewar, full stop. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319200 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319200 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319308 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319308 https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- kingofpandora 6y ago
  There is a rich history of Muslims interpreting the meanings of the Quran and those interpretations come up with rather different conclusions.
- dang 6y ago
  Religious flamewar is not allowed on HN. Please don't post like this again. And please see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 — I don't want to ban you and your posts in this thread have been a serious violation. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
PicassoCTs 6y ago
It definitely helps the scientific process if your religion worships martyring yourself, and make a non-violent, stand against society's expectations.

drieddust 6y ago

I am speaking about any religion. My comment is with respect to Islamic worldview. Islam is different from Christianity and other faiths in terms that it does not allow adding or removing anything into Quran so if Quran says Earth is flat, it needs to stay flat evidence be damned. Christianity on the other-hand does not have this injunction against the progress. Rome and Pope were keeping the scientific thoughts suppressed by force but the scripture itself did not prohibit new interpretations and revisions.

bigbubba 6y ago
In real life, if you go meet a few, I am quite sure you will find that many Muslims do not take their scripture literally. It is the real world application of a religion by any particular adherent that impacts society, not what you happen to think the associated text dictates. Passages are regularly ignored or reinterpreted by adherents of religions to suit their personal needs or desires. An Islamic politician who wants to promote literacy can find plenty of support for that agenda in his religious texts. And a politician who opposes that agenda can also find support for his agenda in those same texts. That's the nature of the beast. Revising the text itself may be forbidden but that doesn't mean the interpretation and practice of the religion are immutable traits, universal to all adherents.
- drieddust 6y ago
  > In real life, if you go meet a few, I am quite sure you will find that many Muslims do not take their scripture literally. My answer is three parts so please bear with me. Firstly I understand your argument but then why you do not see any other community carrying out beheading to defend their religion. If this is the state of affairs today then you need to imagine how it would have been centuries back. Are you saying they were progressing and suddenly became regressive in modern era? What would explain that theory? Secondly Christians, Hindus, Buddhists also exists in large numbers and Jews are the most prosecuted community. I do not see them carrying out random suicide attacks. How do you explain this behavior? Thirdly Every faith have seen voices to reform vs other major faiths. Why don't you see any major reforms going on in Islam? Are they perfect and don't have anything to reform? What there isn't any major movement from within Islam against polygamy, halala, barbaric punishments, degraded status of women and minorities. Note: Strangely I was stopped from replying by hacker new algo because I was apparently posting too fast. I don't know why posting 4-5 messages over an hour should be considered "fast."
  - random134940 6y ago
    There is enough data on the contrary. Riots in Delhi during President Trump's visit, lynchings of Muslims suspected of eating beef in India, dont we know the history.
  - dang 6y ago
    Did you not see my several replies to you in this thread? Posting like this after we explicitly asked you to stop will get you banned on HN. I'm not going to ban you right now, because I want to make sure that you saw the warnings. But please don't post any more religious flamewar or anything that remotely resembles religious flamewar, full stop. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319200 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319200 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319308 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319308 https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
kingofpandora 6y ago
There is a rich history of Muslims interpreting the meanings of the Quran and those interpretations come up with rather different conclusions.
dang 6y ago
Religious flamewar is not allowed on HN. Please don't post like this again. And please see https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25319171 — I don't want to ban you and your posts in this thread have been a serious violation. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

PicassoCTs 6y ago

It definitely helps the scientific process if your religion worships martyring yourself, and make a non-violent, stand against society's expectations.