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He is one of my heroes. So charming, funny and educating at the same time. His speech on the islam downfall in the 13th century due to some "prophet" claiming t
by malkia 15y ago
He is one of my heroes. So charming, funny and educating at the same time. His speech on the islam downfall in the 13th century due to some "prophet" claiming that math and devil were interconnected was much enlightening on how religion actually stops scientific progress.
- kloncks 15y agoI was in the middle of one of his talks and heard this exactly. I agree...but allow me to just correct one thing. The "prophet" was a sheikh/imam in Iraq (?) that said math and Satan were connected. Islam had - up until that time - managed to have some pretty amazing feats. That said, it's interesting how we blindly take advice from men with authority. Whether that's religious figures, famous people, or politicians.
- malkia 15y agoThanks for the correction kloncks! Not trying to excuse myself, but I'm simply not good at remembering details. Would have to watch the video again!
- kloncks 15y agoNo worries! It's my view that religion often isn't the thing that impairs scientific learning. Rather it's men's interpretation of those events. Just needed to make that subtle correction :)
- lukifer 15y agoIdeology is a superset of religion, and like fire, it can be used for either creation or destruction.
- omarchowdhury 15y agoDoes that one instance preclude all of the other people that contributed to science, who also had faith?
- bluedanieru 15y agoIt would help if their faith is what drove them to pursue scientific endeavors. And that is sometimes the case, in fact. But for every "understand the mind of god" faith-driven scientist there are at least one thousand screaming, irrational, dangerously unbalanced regressives who are one papal bull or fatwa or Dianetics away from ushering us into a brutal and stupid dark age. Like many human inventions religion can be a great thing, but it often isn't.
- omarchowdhury 15y agoIt would seem then the indoctrination of individuals is the issue here, not religion in itself. The current process of propagating religion through the oral teachings of priests and the dead letter of holy texts has given rise to fanaticism, pitting groups against one another.
- sskates 15y agoNot disagreeing/agreeing, but do you have any evidence to back up the claim "for every "understand the mind of god" faith-driven scientist there are at least one thousand screaming, irrational, dangerously unbalanced regressives"?
- bluedanieru 15y agoNo, sorry. This isn't Wikipedia.
- skeletonjelly 15y agoExactly. Just because I declare something doesn't mean I have to back it up with facts. I trust my gut. That's where the truth lies.
- bluedanieru 15y agoNot every turn of phrase entitles you to a link, you literal-minded buffoon.
- darkandbrooding 15y agohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ghazali http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Ghazali "Ghazali has sometimes been referred to by historians as the single most influential Muslim after the Islamic prophet Muhammad.[6] Others have cited his movement from science to faith as a detriment to Islamic scientific progress.[7]"