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To: Bryan24; PatrickHenry
"One other thing, probably 90%+ of the people in this country believe that God had some hand in the beginnings of the universe."

There was a time when an equal number of people in the world believed that illnesses were in fact demonic possession, and that possessed people should be put to death. Today, we know this to be false, and we understand illnesses, both physical and mental, their causes, and possible cures.

Reaching that level of understanding in no way diminished belief in God; there are many, many good Christian doctors out there.

There was a time when heliocentrism was dubbed an idea that could not be held as truth by the Church, and even called heresy by some within it. We now know better.

Does understanding the way things work somehow diminish belief in God?

It hasn't thus far...why would it do so now?

375 posted on 08/05/2006 11:43:55 AM PDT by Luis Gonzalez (Some people see the world as they would want it to be, effective people see the world as it is.)
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To: Luis Gonzalez
Does understanding the way things work somehow diminish belief in God? It hasn't thus far...why would it do so now?

Different intellectual systems. Science depends on learning new things, and it expects -- demands -- that old ideas be adjusted to accommodate new information. That's how science progresses. All bright young PhD candidates yearn to overthrow incorrect ideas, and are rewarded for doing so.

Theology is very different. Change is not desired, and it's actively discouraged. Adherence to well-established doctrine is rewarded.

Some people have no problem dealing with both of these different systems of thought. Others have to go with one or the other, exclusively, but are tolerant of different viewpoints. And some -- a malignant few -- want to literally stamp out other viewpoints. I guess it's always going to be like that.

378 posted on 08/05/2006 12:03:47 PM PDT by PatrickHenry (Everything is blasphemy to somebody.)
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