I am a professional scientist and also religious. One does not stifle the other. Any stifiling is done on individual, not organizational levels, for individual reasons.
Shoe: >Your thesis is based entirely on an assumption >that you cannot prove. C'mon man, I still gotta believe that you are sharper than this. What part of "you can't prove a negative" (and don't need to) don't you understand? Ok, prove to me Santa doesn't exist! That'll keep you busy for a while. JB
>Any stifiling is done on individual, not organizational >levels, for individual reasons. That is SO historically incorrect that I can't even believe someone could write it. JB
>religion has really stiffled progress in the west. >are you out of your mind ?? You are reading WAY too much into what I said. Take only what I said and it is easily proven. Beyond that, I would have to say that with the occasional but somewhat regular exceptions (stem cell research being the latest) religion has been fairly tolerant of progress here in the west. JB
Let me (hopefully) be a little more clear. Look at these statements: "oh please give me a break religion is tyranny not freedom. there is no true freedom under a creator only subjugation and fear." "If we're to ever live up to our great, almost limitless, potential, as a species we need VISIONARIES. Scientific visionaries. Not religious crackpots." "We _cannot afford_ to let religious cavemen prevent us from realizing this great destiny with their primitive charges of our actions being "against god"!" "I think it's fair to say religious people will go along with anything if they can be convinced that it's in line with their religious system. See the suicide bombers from the middle east, for example." I'm simply pointing out that this sort of arrogance could probably only be exhibited by someone who was absolutely convinced he had proven there was no God. And I'm pointing out that that is ridiculously impossible. So, in effect, I am agreeing with you...
no, it is ridiculous to assume god exists in the abscence of compelling evidence. that is where the absurdity comes into play! :-/
What?? You're willing to admit you're religious! We all know that your kind has caused virtually every problem on the planet. Please get off this thread immediately: your kind is responsible for all wars, all ignorance, all tyranny, all oppression. And please resign immediately from your job since we know that you probably believe the sun revolves around a flat earth...