04.18.11
Confusing ‘religion’ with Xtianity
Is there any place for religious faith in science?
Can scientists be religious? Sam Harris argues science and faith are completely incompatible, while Robert Winston would like to be more inclusive. Emine Saner adjudicates
These discussions are getting dreary and are completely unhelpful in the way they take the problems with Xtianity as characteristic of religion. That is unfair, biased, crypto-deadly in the tactic of destruction of all religion, and a muddle of the complexities of religion. Sam Harris, a closet New Ager, should know better, and I am sure does, but he has to play the part here.
I think that these discussions are not helped by discussing the issue of ‘faith’, an exhausted concept wrecked by the abuse of Christians. Faith in a Kantian sense is at least worth discussing, but in any case the issue of faith, as New Atheists rightly sense, is helpful at this point.
I am not even a theist in the conventional sense, but the real question of ‘faith’, in a sense far away from the decayed Xtian usage, is important to consider. But the idea that we should have faith in the mythology of Xtians is a disservice to a now defunct concept.
Let me note that still another abused object of faith is Darwinian natural selection.
Stephen said,
April 18, 2011 at 2:42 pm
There is no disinterested science. Scientism corrupts itself. However, there can be a purified science that becomes a transcendental subjectivity that has tamed its own affections, but remaining in its self (objectively formulated) and for its self (subjectively motivated).
The word faith is misleading, because what we are talking about is trust.
nemo said,
April 19, 2011 at 10:41 am
The term ‘faith’ to me arises when we have a double bind: something is metaphysical, and yet it is somehow real. ‘Free will’ is a good example. We need to make an operational assumption (to not use the term faith) about its reality.
Confusing religion and Christianity said,
April 19, 2011 at 11:35 am
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