Will God Survive Science

I really like that stackexchange website. Thanks.

Quote: Dalex64

What's that, you've never heard of it therefore it isn't true?

http://www.miltontimmons.com/ChruchesVsLightningRod.html

FrG is woefully ignorant of much of
his own Church's history. In seminary
they leave out anything that might
make the Church look moronic.

Had the ecclesiastics at the Church of San Nazaro in Brecia given in to the repeated
urgings to install a lightning rod they might have averted a terrible catastrophe. The
Republic of Venice had stored in the vaults of this church several thousand pounds of
gunpowder. In 1767, seventeen years after Franklin's discovery, no rod having been
placed upon the church, it was struck by lightning and the gunpowder in the vaults
was set off. One sixth of the city was destroyed and three thousand lives were lost,
just because the clergy had refused to install the "heretical rod"..

The Church always had to be dragged
into every new scientific discovery because
of their obsession with the non existent
supernatural and their mistaken belief
that they had control of it. Ignorance and
stupidity are always harshly punished.

I reckon it is not just the Church that is sometimes sloth in accepting, utilizing, and understanding new technology or discoveries.

The issue isn't resistance to change, or the speed of adoption, the issue is the REASONS for the resistance to change.

Quote: Dalex64

The issue isn't resistance to change, or the speed of adoption, the issue is the REASONS for the resistance to change.

The reason is a book written by a bronze age civilization, and a latter book written by a late ancient civilization, both of which today we regard as quite savage and violent.

Quote: FrGamble

If we move away from the language of proof we realize that we all act on faith. Not a blind or unreasonable faith but rather a faith based on many different factors and pieces of evidence that lead us to trust this person and not that one, to eat this food or not, to love this person, etc.

I'm fine with referring to belief as faith. Because faith can have varying levels of confirmation.

The faith in being rescued from an overturned boat in the ocean is less reliable than the Sun rising tomorrow.

As so, it doesn't help your claim of faith in god.

Quote: rxwine

I'm fine with referring to belief as faith. Because faith can have varying levels of confirmation.

The faith in being rescued from an overturned boat in the ocean is less reliable than the Sun rising tomorrow.

As so, it doesn't help your claim of faith in god.

Oh but it does. If we stop having knee jerk reactions to the word faith then we will realize we all live by faith. You are correct that faith can have varying levels of confirmation. If we really analyze those levels of confirmation and look at them I think you will see that it is more of a sure thing to believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior then it is to eat whatever they may serve you at your local restaurant.

Quote: Dalex64

The issue isn't resistance to change, or the speed of adoption, the issue is the REASONS for the resistance to change.

Isn't change itself always resisted for various reasons, many of which are not logical or sound? It is not as if any scientist at the time really understood lightning or had a much better answer to why it happened than anyone else. That together with the idea that a lightning rod would cause lightning to be more likely to hit your steeple but just control or ground the charge would I think be a little scary for some folks.

Quote: FrGamble

it is more of a sure thing to believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior

In what way. He certainly does none of
the things he says he'll do for you if
you believe in him. He won't give you
what you want in prayer, that's a
proven fact. So if that's a lie, which
it obviously is, taking anything else
he said seriously is a fools errand.

If you get caught lying in court under
oath even once, all your testimony is
considered a lie. Why should this be
any different.

Quote: FrGamble

Oh but it does. If we stop having knee jerk reactions to the word faith then we will realize we all live by faith. You are correct that faith can have varying levels of confirmation. If we really analyze those levels of confirmation and look at them I think you will see that it is more of a sure thing to believe in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior then it is to eat whatever they may serve you at your local restaurant.

Well, it makes for a fine story. Sounds very typical biblical stuff, where god surprises everyone by sending them into barren lands, but then provides bountiful harvests for them because they had "faith".. And the people who go to the bountiful lands experience drought and famine because they disobey god..

Perfect for roping in some new clients.