Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: exDemMom; Alamo-Girl; spirited irish; YHAOS; betty boop; metmom; GourmetDan
There is no religion of "Darwinism." Ditto for the imaginary religions of "Scientism", "Materialism", "Naturalism", or whatever "-ism" you want to attribute to scientists. Science is an academic pursuit. It is not a religion, nor are we scientists its worshippers.

From Dictionary.com:

re·li·gion

/rɪˈlɪdʒən/ Show Spelled[ri-lij-uhn] Show IPA
noun
1.
a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
2.
a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.
3.
the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.
4.
the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.
5.
the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

A person's "religion" is the system of beliefs by which they live their life. It may or it may not be what they CLAIM it is (e.g. plenty of claim to be Christians, but they are actually atheists, secularists or Darwinists).

You can try all you want to say that there are no worshipers of Darwinism, but that doesn't make you correct.

563 posted on 03/17/2012 1:28:09 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 552 | View Replies ]


To: wagglebee; exDemMom; spirited irish; YHAOS; betty boop; metmom; GourmetDan
Interestingly, the 7th Court of Appeals ruled that atheism is a religion: Kauffman v McCaughtry

If Kauffman had complained about not being able to have a study group in Darwinism, Scientism, Materialism or Naturalism instead of Atheism, I imagine the court would have ruled the same way.

566 posted on 03/17/2012 10:31:48 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 563 | View Replies ]

To: wagglebee; exDemMom; Alamo-Girl; YHAOS; betty boop; metmom; GourmetDan

from wagglebee: a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies

Spirited: In the context of religion there has always been a “religion of Darwinism,” though not in the exact form it has taken today.

When searching for a natural (Godless) mechanism to explain biological evolution Darwin enthroned “randomness and chance,” thereby reviving the very ancient idea of Chaos, the watery void, the “one substance” that was believed (i.e., Sumerians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Greeks) to be the first thing in existence from which the god (i.e., Ra) and/or gods and goddesses created themselves and then mankind, and all else.

Since all things are of Chaos, and Chaos is the antithesis of order, absolutes, universal truth-claims, enduring principles, history, etc., there is no logical source for true science. Magic replaces true science, myth replaces history and moral relativism replaces universal truth-claims.

With Darwinism “nothingness, randomness, and chance” are Chaos and rather than the gods, “matter” spontaneously generated (created) itself from “nothing” (Chaos). And the first things generated by matter? The earth (the Goddess Gaia) and a “watery pond” teeming with primordial life.

And of course, because there is no logical source for universal truth-claims, America and the West have naturally fallen into myth, magic, and moral relativism.

This is a brief sketch your religion, exDemMom.


567 posted on 03/18/2012 2:32:19 AM PDT by spirited irish
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 563 | View Replies ]

To: wagglebee
From Dictionary.com:

re·li·gion
   /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ Show Spelled[ri-lij-uhn] Show IPA

noun
1. a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.

2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects: the Christian religion; the Buddhist religion.

3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices: a world council of religions.

4. the life or state of a monk, nun, etc.: to enter religion.

5. the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

A person's "religion" is the system of beliefs by which they live their life. It may or it may not be what they CLAIM it is (e.g. plenty of claim to be Christians, but they are actually atheists, secularists or Darwinists).

As I have pointed out many times, science is not a religion. Whether or not one is a Christian, Buddhist, Moslem, atheist, or whatever is completely independent of one's choice to pursue a career in science.

From Dictionary.com:

be·lief    [bih-leef]
noun

1. something believed; an opinion or conviction: a belief that the earth is flat.

2. confidence in the truth or existence of something not immediately susceptible to rigorous proof: a statement unworthy of belief.

3. confidence; faith; trust: a child's belief in his parents.

4. a religious tenet or tenets; religious creed or faith: the Christian belief.

Compare to:

sci·ence    [sahy-uhns]
noun

1. a branch of knowledge or study dealing with a body of facts or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of general laws: the mathematical sciences.

2. systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.

3. any of the branches of natural or physical science.

4. systematized knowledge in general.

5. knowledge, as of facts or principles; knowledge gained by systematic study.

6. a particular branch of knowledge.

7. skill, especially reflecting a precise application of facts or principles; proficiency.

Of note is the fact that the word "belief" does not appear anywhere within the definition of "science".

613 posted on 03/20/2012 4:02:20 AM PDT by exDemMom (Now that I've finally accepted that I'm living a bad hair life, I'm more at peace with the world.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 563 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson