we depend so much on science. medicinal science, environmental science, computer science, etc. science provides us with proof, right? observation, research, facts. we teach the laws of science to our children as absolute truth.
but i feel like every time i turn around the scientific powers-that-be are saying, hold up, hold up! we just found something that negates everything we thought WAS true and now THIS is true.
example. in the 1820's the first dinosaur bones were discovered in england. since then fossils have popped up all over the world and scores of creatures have been stacked up and displayed for us to ogle in museums. when i grew up, the brontosaurus was down right iconic. but scientists have since changed their story about the brontosaurus. they wrongly puzzled the bones of a couple different dinosaurs together when assembling that most famous long-neck. now the only place the brontosaurus exists is in fred flinstone's burger bun. the brontosaurus isn't the only dinosaur being scrutinized. i think the t-rex is said to have been feathered now, along with several other ancient over-sized lizards.
i appreciate and admire the exploration and evolution of science, but i'm finding more and more that what science is proving to me, is that the only truth that exists is love. (i know i sound incredibly cheesy but it's coming from the heart.)
when someone says, there's no scientific proof of god, so god doesn't exist, i think, just hold that thought... science is bound to discover the truth any time now. don't hold fast to science - the truth of it is, science is always changing so it'll only slip through your hands.
peace, love, gratitude,
v
p.s.
props to beastie boys for the title of today's post. :-)
V- I love science, so I want to defend it's value a little bit... If I am understanding your correctly, I think your point is that we tend to go to science first but that because it is not final or definite, we cannot trust it.
ReplyDeleteTo me, science represents the most likely truth, based upon evidence. Science provides us with theories and evidence to support those theories. Science is not binary or definite. Science is experimental and conditional, never final. Science is the exploration and quest for the best explanation for various phenomena, based upon available evidence.
Accepted theories are based upon current evidence and available information. As new or better information or evidence becomes available, new theories develop. Nothing in science is ever final. In math, there is one correct result: the answer is either right or wrong- there's nothing in between. But science is not binary. It's not final. It's not 100% proven. Science is the compilation and analysis of evidence, resulting in theories, probabilities and likelihood. Better evidence and methodologies lead to more credible theories. Here's a funny quote from an article written a few years ago that I think makes a good point,
"The creationists and other critics of evolution are absolutely correct when they point out that evolution is “just a theory” and it is not “proven.” What they neglect to mention is that everything in science is just a theory and is never proven. Unlike the Prime Number Theorem, which will absolutely and forever be true, it is still possible, albeit very, very, very, very, very unlikely, that the theory of evolution by natural and sexual selection may one day turn out to be false. But then again, it is also possible, albeit very, very, very, very, very unlikely, that monkeys will fly out of my ass tomorrow. In my judgment, both events are about equally likely."
I believe science provides the most likely answers, based upon evidence. But I also believe in love and faith and things that science cannot explain. I agree that God may exist, even without scientific proof. If there was a preponderance of scientific evidence suggesting he didn't exist, I would have to consider that. Science cannot explain everything, but it can help explain many things. Maybe there is room for both science & love/faith/God? :)
what up, anon? love your post and appreciate the time and thought you put into your message. i am totally in sync with everything you're saying.
ReplyDeletei'm not hating science, i'm just wishing scientists on a massive scale could be more open minded to universal energy. science books have power - people trust science and believe in it. while in the backs of our heads we know science it's conditional, it's our best chance at figuring this world out so we still accept the scientist's word as FACT. at least i do.
we put a lot of trust in these people. ie. i remember learning the brontosaurus never existed and i was like, WTF??? i took tests in 6th grade about that thing! i had to memorize how long he was, what he ate, which era he lived in, etc. and now he's just a mistake? huh?
wouldn't it be nice if a 6th grade science book talked about the power of universal energy? can you imagine if kids learned about that at an early age and believed in its power as described by scientists? it'd be amazing.
i think about energy and the way it can heal and improve humanity. but if we don't believe it, we can't promote it. most scientists would say, it's interesting, it's possible - but there's really no proof that there's any truth to it.
i definitely think there's room for both science ad god. i wrote about my new hero masuru emoto a couple of times this week - he uses science to prove that loving energy creates physical beauty. i find that beyond inspirational.
i guess sometimes i just get tired of hearing skeptics and scientists say that god doesn't exist b/c there is no proof. to me, i see proof everywhere i look.
so glad you wrote. xox
v
Faith in action: Hebrews 11:1, "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible"
ReplyDeleteI love science as well, but I have never viewed it as fact, just theory.
love "what is seen was not made out of what was visible". thank you for sharing!!!! xoxoxox
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to add to the above comment defending science. You seem to be criticizing science for the very reasons it works so effectively. A hypothesis is put forward (“the evidence we have so far suggests the existence of this creature we'll call a brontasaurus”) and then other scientists continue to look for evidence supporting or rejecting this idea (“sorry, all the new evidence we've developed says you're wrong there was no such creature”). Science is only concerned about making sure that what is currently learned in 6th grade is correct, not reinforcing ideas which prove to be incorrect. Every advance in medicine, environmental science, computer science is made in the face of people who argue for the status quo or who are upset because what used to be true no longer is true. Think about all the people who learned that the earth is flat and that diseases are caused by bad humors. Thankfully science proved these things to be false.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to proving god exists or the existence of “universal energy”, the onus is on the people making the claim of existence, science can not prove a negative. If god exists then there must be some positive evidence of his/her existence. There are thousands of known “gods” depending on ones beliefs, everyone thinks theirs is “the god” and yet there is no evidence that any of these exist or have ever existed.
I am not trying to start a heated debate about religion...obviously, just look around the world, it is very difficult to change peoples minds about this topic. Rather I am coming out in favor of science and critical thinking as a way of looking at things. “Skeptic” is not necessarily a pejorative term as it is often used but rather a way to rationally think about the world around us. The world can still be a beautiful, remarkable place without inserting irrational explanations for its existence. In addition, advancements in science aren't made solely to turn ones way of thinking on its head but rather to develop a better understanding of how and why things are the way they are. Thanks.
hello hello anonymous, thank you for your additional thoughts on science. totally appreciated.
ReplyDeletei'm not attacking science so don't feel like you need to draw your sword to defend it. and i'm comfortable with debate. i'm just not sure our arguments are so different as to insight one - unless, that is, you are saying god doesn't exist. is that what you're saying? i'm getting lost.
i need to first clarify the title of my post. "dropping science" is street slang. its meaning stems from "dropping beats", laying it down, creating it. it doesn't mean dropping it in the trash can. in fact, it's more like "putting ideas into the world".
also. i'm not a science hater. i love science! i'm all for it! i reap the benefits of scientific discoveries and technology every day. but i am far from your implied view that the idea of universal energy is irrational.
do i think a 10,000 foot tall guy with a snowy white beard named "god" created the universe by clapping his hands? no. but i do not think that god and creation and earth are not separate. in fact, i think that our creative source, or god, has an infinitely major role in the way the world turns.
i think about the people who thought the world was flat all the time. and that, for me, is fodder for my argument that god is here. we just don't know enough to see her/him/it yet.
peace! v
Sorry if my post was unclear...I think I unintentionally intertwined two separate discussions. As an atheist I see no evidence that some superpower, regardless of form, is able to control our lives. The argument that because we just have not come up with the evidence yet doesn't seem to be a very strong one. Throughout history god/gods have been used to explain numerous things from weather changes, volcanic explosions, disease, human development etc. but in each case a scientific explanation/ natural laws ultimately proved to be the cause of the phenomenon. No deity has ever shown up and said you can't explain this because I just did it for fun. So moving forward it seems far more likely that things we may not understand today will be explained by science and not by divine intervention.
ReplyDeleteLeaving the god argument aside and focusing just on the usefulness of science you seem to be saying I love science but not when it disagrees with my beliefs(if I'm putting words in your mouth I apologize). I'm confused by the idea of science and rational thinking being great in some cases but in other cases we should just put it aside. Rational thinking is not just beakers and test tubes but rather a way to approach thinking about things to arrive at the clearest picture of the real world around us. Anytime you use some unlikely explanation for why something happens it just muddies the water. Why wouldn't anyone want to apply scientific reasoning to the world around them. Certainly science gets things wrong but even if it moves too slowly it tends towards autocorrection so that the most likely explanation can be found. It does not need to be taken as an all or nothing situation but rather a gathering of information that ultimately provides the most likely explanation. Believing in things that have no supporting evidence solely because “science doesn't know everything” is missing the point. Science knows it doesn't know everything, that's why people continue to apply its principles to continually look for answers. Thanks.
Typically I would say, let's just agree to disagree. My goal is not to convert anyone. I'm just sharing my life's perspective as an avid and eager Explorer of the Universe. But it sounds like you want to spar, so I'll indulge. ;-)
ReplyDeleteFirst, you are right. You are putting words in my mouth and, based on the points in your commentaries, it seems you assume I disagree with you about the purpose and value of science. I DON'T DISAGREE. You are posing arguments that don't interact clearly with my message, and leaving me with the feeling that you think I'm an uneducated, under-evolved goat-sacrificing pagan.
I'm not a pagan. I'm not necessarily a monotheist either. Believe it or not, I'm really pretty smart. ;-) I don't think God throws lighting from the sky or commands volcanoes to erupt. I don't fall back on spirituality to explain the seemingly unexplainable. I think there are very logical and scientific reason for most everything. And I think that the magic of science is intricately woven with Universal Energy.
I think all living things have souls made of energy. I think that energy is powerful and has a tangible and visible effect on all earthly things. Maybe beyond. I think schools should openly discuss this Universal Energy in schools, even if scientists haven't figured it out yet. Because as is, the atheist's voice is the only voice school children hear. And, honestly, to think of all these children as little soul-less bodies without an eternal light is... well, dim. And a little hopeless.
I'm not asking anyone to push science aside. Just to keep it in its place and understand its limits. Science is not always right. We know this. Also, science does not always have the best intentions (nuclear bombs - ew). I'll take it a step further and say that the invasive components of science (as opposed to the observational and theory-concocting ones) have delivered this planet to a pretty gloomy state, depleting its natural resources, wiping out entire species and leaving a hot mess behind. On the other hand, Universal Love is pure with clear intention, and, unlike science, has no downside.
I say this with great respect for your message, but your, comment, "believing in tings that have no supporting evidence," is total crap.
Maybe you are not ready to see the evidence. It's comforting to hold onto the things that you can touch and feel and prove. Believing in a higher power is taking a giant leap of faith. And leaping off of anything is pretty unsettling. It's trusting your little voice. And you can't touch and feel that. But you know it's there.
Also, it sounds like you haven't done the dedicated research to be proven otherwise. (I might be wrong? If I am I'd love to hear your take on your metaphysics studies.) If you are really interested in investigating whether or not Universal Energy exists, I suggest you read some metaphysics books. Scientific evidence is based on research and observation, right? Would you consider case studies and testmonies as evidence? The testimonies of hundreds, thousands of complete strangers having near death experiences? Read "Life After Life" by Raymond A. Moody.
Probably the best books for you to read are written by Deepak Chopra. he's a brilliant doctor who used to run New England Medical Center. He's written a slew of books about various aspects of universal energy. Plus he's very science-y so you'd probably like him.
I think that a responsible scientist would say, "God is possible, but I haven't yet found evidence," not, "I haven't found evidence so God doesn't exist." The latter is poor argument.
I believe I have a soul made completely of loving light. I think you do, too. The more I nurture my higher self, the brighter my life shines. I can feel it. Science, nor you, can convince me otherwise.
Peace out.