Can belief in God be separate from religious beliefs?

[Evo]

Ok Evo, the fact that science mistakenly corrects religious dogma every now and then doesn't meant that science has something to say about religion.

Exactly. It has nothing to say about religion. If it proves that elves carrying buckets of gold to the end of the rainbow don't exist, the research was not done with the intent to disprove that myth.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

If atheism is not a choice, then are you suggesting - it would seem - that believers don't have the choice to change their ways, and not believe?

 

[zoobyshoe]

Exactly. The pursuit of science does have zero to do with religion

While I agree that scientists aren't out to discredit religion, it happens, as you pointed out, that certain religious notions get inadvertantly discredited. Therefore your statement: "The pursuit of science does have zero to do with religion" is not well stated and invites contradiction. Science has an effect on religious notions. Therefore, it has something to do with religion, albeit without intending to.

 

[Evo]

While I agree that scientists aren't out to discredit religion, it happens, as you pointed out, that certain religious notions get inadvertantly discredited. Therefore your statement: "The pursuit of science does have zero to do with religion" is not well stated and invites contradiction. Science has an effect on religious notions. Therefore, it has something to do with religion, albeit without intending to.

Yes, and I did make that clear, that although it disproves myths, it was not done with the intent to disprove them.

 

[zomgwtf]

If atheism is not a choice, then are you suggesting - it would seem - that believers don't have the choice to change their ways, and not believe?

Are you purposely being obtuse as Dave would put it.

I never said that athiest don't have choices so why would it seem that believers don't have a choice?

Also, I feel I can't comment on your other post without throwing insults your way, it just seems impossible to do such a thing. So I'm not going to bother. You can keep up your fallacious arguments if you'd like to... makes no difference in my eyes really.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Yes, and I did make that clear, that although it disproves myths, it was not done with the intent to disprove them.

Which leads me to the observation that science and religion, whatever religion you name, end up clashing at some point, without science particularly intending it.

I hear the assertion made that they can peacefully co-exist without interfering with each other, but I don't really believe that's possible. I have a physics text, Conceptual Physics, which is a simplified first year prerequisite course, which has a preface making this assertion:

"Science and religion are different from each other. Science is both a body of knowledge and a method of probing nature's secrets. Religious beliefs and practices normally have to do with faith and worship of God and the creation of human community, not with experimental practices of science. In this respect, science and religion are as different as apples and oranges and do not contradict each other. While science is concerned with the working of cosmic processes, religion addresses itself to the purpose of the cosmos. The two complement rather than contradict each other."

Conceptual Physics
Paul G. Hewitt
8th edition, 1998

Sounds nice, but when the probing of nature's secrets happens to uncover prosaic reasons for what were formerly considered 'supernatural' phenomena, people tend to get upset.

 

[zomgwtf]

zooby would you agree with my statement that belief in God and belief in a religion are two different things? Yes being religious normally implies belief in God but that's only part of the story.

 

[Evo]

Which leads me to the observation that science and religion, whatever religion you name, end up clashing at some point, without science particularly intending it.

That's what I said.

 

[zoobyshoe]

zooby would you agree with my statement that belief in God and belief in a religion are two different things? Yes being religious normally implies belief in God but that's only part of the story.

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you simply saying someone might believe in God but want nothing to do with the actual organized religions that exist?

 

[zomgwtf]

I'm not sure what you mean. Are you simply saying someone might believe in God but want nothing to do with the actual organized religions that exist?

No no no. I'm saying that a belief in the concept of God whatever that may be to a person is different from that persons belief in a Religion.

God and religion are not the same things.

So for instance: Catholics.

Catholics have a monotheistic belief. So they have a single god and they assign to him special godly properties and what not.

Now that monotheistic belief is vastly different from believing in most of the Holy Bible and the interpretations of this Holy Bible. Believing in God in concept is vastly different from a persons belief in religion. This is most clearly noticable in christianity... look at how many different churches there are. They all believe in the exact same concept of God though, the religious beliefs are different.

 

[zoobyshoe]

No no no. I'm saying that a belief in the concept of God whatever that may be to a person is different from that persons belief in a Religion.

God and religion are not the same things.

So for instance: Catholics.

Catholics have a monotheistic belief. So they have a single god and they assign to him special godly properties and what not.

Now that monotheistic belief is vastly different from believing in most of the Holy Bible and the interpretations of this Holy Bible. Believing in God in concept is vastly different from a persons belief in religion. This is most clearly noticable in christianity... look at how many different churches there are. They all believe in the exact same concept of God though, the religious beliefs are different.

I am still not sure what you mean. Are you saying it's possible for a person to put together their own concept of a supreme being, one that requires no religious observance? If that's what you mean, it's certainly possible for that to happen, for what it's worth.