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Buzzby

The difference between believers in religion and believers in science is that scientific beliefs are tested by experimental evidence which is reproducible by anyone performing the same experiment. Religious beliefs are the product of "faith", which to my mind is another word for "wishful thinking". Science always leaves the door open for change when further experimentation shows that an earlier belief doesn't fit experimental evidence. Hence the shift from Newtonian physics, which explained things pretty well, to Einsteinian physics, which explained them more accurately. Religion, being without experiment, changes when people think there might be some advantage, usually in money or power, in changing it.

Believing in God or not believing in God are both acts of faith. Most scientists, being men and women of reason, are agnostics. That's because there is no evidence one way or the other.

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Stephanie S.

Agnostic or aethist?

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"See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." —George W. Bush, Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 (Listen to audio)

JTP

Only within current understanding. Scientific assumptions of today should not be assumed to be either correct or complete if the historical context of scientific developement is any guide. The belief by some that the current assumptions of science are indeed "laws" or at all conclusive only further proves my point about their "beliefs".

I also think you are wrong about religion only changing for money and power. Most of the religions I can think of had very humble origins, and most of the reformation movements, in Christianity at least, were do to theoretical disagreements.

Buzzby

Agnostic, at least the ones I've talked to. To be a theist or an atheist is to state a truth based on no experimental evidence. Scientists don't think that way.


I don't think you really understand the nature of science. Unlike religionists who are constantly trying to suppress "heretical" beliefs, scientists are always re-examining their assumptions and looking for holes in their theories. Einstein wasn't burned at the stake for knocking Newton's gravity off its pedestal; he was declared one of the great minds of the century. Scientists never assume that their current beliefs are in any sense "final" or "correct". They're just the best approximation anyone has come up with to date. I find that much more realistic than the ex cathedra pronouncements of religions, talking about "laws" of a universe of which we're 99.9999% ignorant.


You're right. I'm over cynical. I was thinking in terms of the conference of the founders of the Catholic church in the 400s. That's when they threw out the 30 or 40 gospels with which they didn't agree. That established the structure of the New Testament which a lot of people think is the direct word of God.

Actually it's the product of a few guys who happened to be leaders of the most conservative of the many Christian sects at the time and it gave them the power to enforce their conservative beliefs on their congregations. After they came to power they ordered all other gospels burned. If a rebellious scribe hadn't hidden copies of them at Nag Hamadi we would never have known they ever existed. Some of the other sects sound pretty cool. They believed you could come into the presence of God through sex and being anointed (that's what "Christian" means) with a cannabis-heavy unguent. Gimme that old time religion!

Stephanie S.

HH, this is just for you. George Carlin on Religion Scroll down till you see "George Carlin puts it all in perspective." After that..scroll to the fifth page break...and look for Bambulance.


peace

 

Higher Logic

10,000 religions might take a while to list here, so I'll just list the ones that I found:

ADIDAM
AME
AMISH
ANANDA CHURCH OF SELF REALIZATION
ANANDA MARGA YOGA SOCIETY
ANGLO-ISRAELISM
ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
ATHEISM
ATHERIUS SOCIETY
ASSOCATION FOR RESEARCH & ENLIGHTENMENT
AUM SHINRIKYO
BAHA'I
BAPTIST, PRIMITIVE
BAPTIST, SOUTHERN
BOSTON CHURCH OF CHRIST
BRANCH DAVIDIANS
BRANHAMISM
BRETHREN
BRITISH-ISRAELISM
BROWNSVILLE REVIVAL
BRUDERHOF
BUDDHISM
CALL TO RENEWAL
CALVARY CHAPEL
CAO DAISM
CHANNELING
CHARISMATIC
CHEN TAO
CHILDREN OF GOD
CHOPRA DEEPAK
CHRISADELPHIANS
CHRISTIAN COALITION
CHRISTIAN IDENTITY MOVEMENT
CHRISTIAN ALLIANCE
CHRISTIAN RECONSTRUCTIONISM
CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
CHURCH OF ISLAND POND
CHURCH OF GOD
CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS
CHURCH OF GOD INTERNATIONAL
CHURCH OF NAZARENE
CHURCH OF NEW JERUSALEM
CHURCH OF SATAN
CHURCH OF SET
CHURCH UNIVERSAL
CONCERNED CHRISTIANS
COURSE IN MIRACLES
DISCORDIANISM
DIVINE LIGHT MISSION
DRUIDS
ECKANKAR
ELAN VITAL
EST
FALUN GONG
FAMILY
FATHER DIVINE
FENG SHUI
FORUM
FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST
FOUNDATION OF HUMAN UNDERSTANDING
FOURSQUARE GOSPEL
FREEMASONRY
FUNDAMENTALISM
MARCUS GARVEY
GNOSTICISM
GURDJIEFF
3HO
HARE KRISHNAS
HASIDISM
HEAVEN'S GATE
HINDUISM
HOLY ORDER OF MANS
HOLY SPIRIT ASSOCATION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF WORLD CHRISTIANITY
HUGUENOTS
HUTTERIAN BRETHERN OF NY, INC.
I AM
INSTITUE OF NOETIC SCIENCES
INTEGRAL YOGA
INT'L CHURCH OF CHRIST
INT'L CHURCH OF FOURSQUARE GOSPEL
INT'L CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY
INT'L PEACE MISSION MOVEMENT
INT'L RAELIAN RELIGION
INT'L SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS
ISLAM
ISKCON
JAINISM
JEHOVAH'S WITNESS
JESUS ARMY
JESUS FELLOWSHIP CHURCH
JESUS PEOPLE USA
JONESTOWN
KABBALAH
KONKOKYO
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
LANDMARK EDUCATION
LATTER DAY SAINTS
LATTER RAIN MOVMENT
LIFESPRIN
LOCAL CHURCH
MACUMBA
CONDOMBLE
MAITREYA
MASADA
MASONS
MEHER BABA
MENNONITES
MESSIANIC JEWISH ALLIANCE
METHODISTS
MILLENNIUM PROPHECIES
MOODY BIBLE
MOODY CHURCH
MOONIES
MORAL REARMAMENT
MORAVIAN CHURCH
MORMOM
MOVE
MOVEMENT FOR RESTORATION OF 10 COMMANDMENTS
MOVEMENT OF SPIRITUAL INNER AWERENESS
MSIA
NATIONAL BABTIST CONVENTION
NATION OF ISLAM
NATION OF YAHWEH
NATIVE AMERICAN RELIGIONS
NAZARENE
NEO-PAGANISM
NEW AGE
NEW CREATION CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY
NEW THOUGHT
NICHIREN SHOSHU OF AMERICA
NICHIREN SHOSHU
NORTHEAST KINGDOM
OLD CATHOLICISM
ONEIDA MOVEMENT
OPUS DEI
ORDER OF SOLAR TEMPLE
OSHO
AMWAY
PARAMAHANSA YOGANADA
PENTACOSTALISM
PROCESS
PEOPLES TEMPLE
PHILADELPHIA CHURCH OF GOD
PROCESS CHURCH OF FINAL JUDGEMENT
PROMISE KEEPERS
QUAKERS
RAMTHA'S SCHOOL OF ENLIGHTENMENT
RAJNESSHISM
RAMAKRISHNA ORDER
RASTAFARIANISM
REBIRTHING
RELIGIOUS SCIENCE
REORGANIZED CHURCH OF JC OF LDS
DISCIPLES OF CHRIST
ROMAN CATHOLICISM
AMORC
SAHAJA YOGA
SANTERIA
SATANISM
TEMPLE OF SET
SCIENTIFIC PANTHEISM
SCIENTOLOGY
SECULAR HUMANISM
SEICHO NO IE
SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP
7TH DAY ADVENTISTS
SHAKERS
SHAMANSIM
SHAMBHALA INTERNATIONAL
SHIRDI SAI BABA
SHINREIKYO
SHINTO
SIKH DHARMA
SIKHS
SILVA MIND CONTROL
SNAKE HANDLERS
SOCIETY OF FRIENDS
SOKA GAKKAI
SOLAR TEMPLE
SCLC
SUMA CHING HAI
SPIRITUALISM
SRI CHINMOY
SUKYO MAHIKARI
SWEDENBORGIANISM
SYNANON
SCM
TAOISM
TENRIKYO
THEOSPHY
TORONTO BLESSING
TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION
ATHERIUS SOCIETY
CHEN TAO
HEAVEN'S GATE
UNARIUS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE
UNIFICATION CHURCH
UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST
UNITED CHURCH OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCE
UNITED METHODIST
UNITED PENTACOSTAL CHURCH
UNITED SOCIETY OF BELIEVERS
UNITY SCHOOL
UNIVERSAL NEGRO IMPROVEMENT ASSC
UNIVERSAL LIFE
UNIVERSAL PEACE MISSION
URANTIA BROTHERHOOD
VENDANTA SOCIETY
VINEYARD CHURCH
WATHTOWER
THE WAY
WICCA
WILLOW CREEK
WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
ZEN BUDDHISM
ZOROASTRIANISM
ZARATHUSTRIAN ASSEMBLY
CONSERVATIVE ZORASTIANISM

...

That doesn't include the thousands of variations and denominations, as well as "OLD WORLD" religions, nor does it include the THOUSANDS of oral religions which really have no name, such as the YANAMANO people of South America; also, prehistoric religions are left out, along with some cults, sects, etc. Trust me, there's well over 10,000 religions.

PS - That was a PITA to type, I should have just linked the page *shrug*

Here's some interesting tidbits:

Currently, there are 19 major world religions, which are divided into 270 different religious groups, plus MANY other ones that are smaller. There are 34,000 SEPERATE Christian groups in the world, with over HALF of them being independent.

Of the ENTIRE WORLD population, here are the percentages:

33% Christian
20% Islam
15% Have no religion
13% Hindu
6% Buddhist
4% Atheist
4% Chinese fold religion
2% New Asian religion
2% Anamism, or Tribal Religions, and Oral Religions
.4% Sikhism
.2% Jewish

Then there's those with less than 1% such as Shamanists, Spiritism, Confucianism, Baha'i, Jainism, Shinto, Wicca, and Zoroastrianism.

People with "no religion" are agnostics, freethinkers, humanists, and secularists.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/

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Higher Logic

*taps fingers* Well, now that I clearly demonstrated that there are well over 10,000 religions...

GrooveGuardian

I think we can all agree that we have a creator, just look at how perfect the universe works... There is no need for us to be watched over everything in the universe lives for something else..

cassiusclay

I'd agree. Even those with no religion see something larger than themselves at work.

The problem comes in when people and groups want to be the closest to god or the most favored, or the saved ones. and they will compete with each other and divide each other into - gods people- and -not gods people-.

Even jesus did this with his disiples (perhaps unitentionally). That group was seen as wanting to take power from the pharisees. They were the elite of their day.

Religion = Power = Security Blanket meaning if you believe that you have all the answers you don't have to deal with nasty reality.

Mamabudz

Hey...we got that 2/10ths of a percent up... my baby niece was born two days ago ...

She's TOO cute!

Hugz,

Mama Budz