Agnostic.com

37 4

What makes SCIENCE so believable?

What makes the science explanation about the origin of the world so believable and the Bible's creation story so fictional?

P.S. don't ya dare told me that bible story is fictional because no one has ever seen the "god".... scientist were not in the beginning of time, too.. it's all just a matter of theories and assumptions tho...

johnwein0517 4 Oct 2
Share

Enjoy being online again!

Welcome to the community of good people who base their values on evidence and appreciate civil discourse - the social network you will enjoy.

Create your free account

37 comments

Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.

5

Science, when describing the creation of the universe is a theory. Science doesn't claim to be right, it's the best guess with the information we have. Science is constantly building on itself coming up with better solutions and answers. The Bible is a fixed story from a few thousand years ago. There is an incredible book called "The Case for God" by Karen Armstrong. It's not a book trying to convince you of anything but does a great job of explaining the origin and evolution of religion.

Thanks for giving us "The Case for God" by Karen Armstrong. You've just added another book to my "To Read" folder.

The bible are stories that were first passed down orally for hundreds of years before being writtne down...
The bible is by far not the oldest written so called holy text, and there are religon not written down that are even older..

5

For one science it testable and repeatable. We have journal were othere scientist confirm your finding or reject.
There nothing like that for the claims of gods. Just faith

Blind faith

1

Let's say you have a lamp in your house that does not work, you put a new bulb in and it works again. Do you believe that the old bulb was burned out, or do you believe that God made the lamp work again?

This is the same argument, just on a very simplistic scale. This is how science works- you have a hypothesis (the bulb is bad), you test it (new bulb), and then you come up with a theory (lamps that don't work have burned out bulbs). Sometimes there is something else wrong with the lamp, and we need to change our hypothesis. We also test our theory by putting the old bulb back in. If we put the old bulb back in, and the lamp does not work, this builds more evidence that our theory is correct.

An impediment to people understanding evolution is the concept of the immense time scale that it occurred. The concept of how slowly changes occur, and the trying wrap your head around what a billion years is like, is tough. But the more you know, the more it makes sense.

Whenever I imagine how very slowly time changes, it almost makes me dizzy. It's like you think of this almost interminably long period of time ... then you realize that that's just a tiny portion of it!

2

It is not the absolute truth, but it is reliable and trustworthy.

James Level 4 Oct 8, 2017

I agree, so let's drink to that. What I hold in my hand is truly the clearest and absolutely the highest spirit in a bottle.

3

The fact that you used the old "you weren't there" argument at the end of your post made you lose virtually all credibility for me. To answer your question, the reason science is believable and the Bible is not is because science is falsifiable and testable and the Bible is not. The Bible's claims are largely unfalsifiable, and the ones that can be tested have been shown to be false.

Simple explanation for simple minds. Thank you, I'll drink to that!

1

belief is exactly the problem.

Oh, yes, there's that troublesome belief again! Lemme pour you my absolut belief, it's Raspberry flavored this time - salud!

1

Because just about every single experiment we've ever done in science is completely reproducible by the average person. And is continuously tested year after year and gives the same results over and over again. The way you think of the word theory is not how the scientific community thinks of the word theory. A theory is the result of a vast amount of experimentation done by many scientists that expresses a fundamental part of the universe, and continuously withstands the tests of other scientists year after year. The reason it is called a theory is because despite all of these tests it would only take a single reproducible experiment to prove it wrong. That's why there is so much controversy surrounding quantum mechanics and Einstein's Theory of General Relativity. Personally science really needs another name other than theory because it's obvious the common person sees that word and completely negates most of their belief in whatever science is being talked about afterwards.

Oh, wow! Science explained in layman's terms. How admirable! Thank you

4

Science is believable because the methods can be replicated and tested. Even when one hasn't the expertise or equipment to replicate an experiment themselves, others will and we can review their work to check for flaws in methods or analysis. Further, checks and balances are provided through peer review and making sure that research is legitimate.

Wonderful! Thank you

1

just to clear things out, I'm trying my best not to become bias on any side. all I want is intelligent answers. thank you so much pips.

We're all here to learn and make things crystal clear - as clear and absolut as what I'm holding in a bottle. So let's drink to that - salud!

1

The genetic evidence behind evolutionary theory is just so....overwhelmingly solid. If you want to compare what scientists have observed regarding the phenotypic and genotypic characteristic of the known lifeforms on earth, you can paint a vastly more complex (and interesting) story than what we are supplied in the book of Genesis. This level of evidence creates a continuous trail that we can trace back (like a trail of breadcrumbs) that is corroborated by ancient fossil evidence as well as smaller scale ecological studies within the past couple centuries. It's not an immense leap of faith or stretch of the imagination. For me personally, I needn't suspend my disbelief to accept the scientific theories the way I would have to for the stories of the Bible.

Yes I agree. Religion has been producing physical evidence of the historicity of the people and events in the Bible but still couldn't stand up to trial . . . just like writers editing the script of a poorly crafted story of a pathetically conceived plot.

1

this is kind of a vague question when you say origin of the world. are you asking about why scientific theory about the earth was formed? or the origin of life? (is more believable than a religious story) i will address both.

  1. the theory of evolution has so much evidence to support it - (natural selection- and survival of the fittest ) we can examine it in small scale with dogs- evolved from wolves - and because human selectively bred them we now have Yorkies (adorable) from what were once huge wolves... i know that i didn't see this happen in my lifetime... but it makes logical sense to me- more than an all powerful god created everything

  2. no one in the science community threatens me with Hell if i don't believe their way of thinking.

  3. we have the fossil record that shows creatures much older than the bible says the earth should be

  4. the idea of intelligent design is just false to me. we have to many vestigial organs and- if you were designing a city (as god might have designed a body) would you really put a sewage treatment plant right next to a playground?

It is said that man is estimated to be about 100,000+ years old civilizations formed some 6,000 years ago (same as the pyramids?). . . I wonder how Cain felt when he met those guys in Nod? He might have thought, "my dad had a concubine here!"

0

Just acknowledging what science is brings us to reality Science means knowledge, there is a methodology standard to science, If someone does not use the standard model then it is NOT science
SCIENCE IS REAL WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT. This is fact, Science is never wrong , it is merely seeking the truth,

EMC2 Level 8 Dec 29, 2017
0

We use science to study the validity of specific religions, Science provides the real truth a day in court if you will To be one who refuses to learn or even care to learn is just a shame , Wasting a mind on forced belief

EMC2 Level 8 Dec 29, 2017
0

Science is believable,because they have to be able to test a theory,have to be able to prove it true or false,if false they start afresh,they have to have evidence to back op their claims.they have studied for years to graduate and then more practical work and experience over years,As far as I am concerned I would believe the findings by science over the bible any day and as for a god,I will believe it once their is hard evidence of its existance.whats more science uses the most advanced technology in studying the stars the births and demise and their movement.

0

Theories are hypotheses that have been tested for validity and reproduced by others performing the experiment using the same methodology. Most of the Old Testament was written after the Diaspora. Hence, it incorporates much of the mythology of Babylon and other Eastern cultures. This maybe why different books of the Bible contradict each other. Finally to the best of my knowledge nobody has ever been put to death for promoting a conflicting scientific hypothesis. But they do have to produce evidence. Religious dogma just says : It's the word of God.

0

It is verifiable and stands the test of validity every day. Every time religion has come up against science, religion lost. I am a life-long atheist, being a skeptic before I learned the word or understood the the meaning. I argued with cousins about the utter ridiculous idea of a Santa Claus; reindeer don't fly, case closed. "Santa Claus is watching you" is a early life primer for a kid that later morphs to "God is watching you" and just as stupid and idiotic.

Over the years as I matured I was a hyper-active agnostic who soon realized I was a full-on atheist. I co-organized the Denton Atheist Meet Up 22-miles to the east of Decatur, Texas and then organized the Wise Free Thinkers & Skeptics Meet Up. I was reluctant to use "Atheist" as this is another of those Texas bible-belt towns, whereas Denton is a college town with University of North Texas and Texas Women's College and more liberal. The two groups meet on opposite Sundays, so I spend each and every Sunday with Atheists and we have a great time. Atheism is where it's at! "Wise" is the name of the county in which Decatur is located and I had to use that duality.

Ozone Level 2 Dec 28, 2017
2

Science is constantly testing theories and revising them based on empirical evidence. Religion uses anecdotal "evidence" which is nothing but hearsay in the end. You are wrong about scientific theory having formed and solidified about Anything, indeed theories about the formation of the universe are in flux as deep space telescopes and higher mathematics, among other things, observe, record, an examine ongoing data constantly coming in.
The fact that you make such a dogmatic statement makes me suspect you are trolling this site.

0

Darling, don't you dare forget that we are all here to learn from each other and become better persons in the process. And don't you dare forget that we all have the right to express our views and opinions in whatever decent way we can. So, be good for goodness' sake, said St.Nick! Be a good girl, behave. Patience is a nice virtue.

Science, per se, is law. And being law it is infallible. It has gone through the "test of fire" and test of time, proven beyond any doubt. So hard not to believe anything like that.

I've seen God, I always do. He is everywhere. He is everything. I see Him everytime I look in the mirror. "I and The Father are one." "I am one with God" "I am one with the universe." He made us in His own image, with His Own Self, with everything that He's made of otherwise we won't be His children/creation. Where do you think He got all the stuff to create the universe? Nowhere else but from Himself!

Said Sting: "We share the same biology regardless of ideology"

2

Repeatable, observable results. Facts, reason, evidence, and questioning the conclusions that we come to.

2

Science is believable because it is predictive. Science follows a set of rules which are met universally, and does not deviate from those rules. Our understanding of the rules may become more focused over time (for example, with improvements in our technology), but in the end, everything in the universe still follows the rules. [Case in point: Based on his knowledge of the periodicity of elements, Dmitri Mendeleev predicted the characteristics and properties of four elements (scandium, gallium, technetium and germanium) which had yet to be discovered.] Science is based in the reproducibility of results, whereas faith is untestable. Or, to put it another way, science is based in 'truth' (as we currently know it), and faith is based on a believer's fears and superstitions.

1

The fact that no threated you with hell if you don't believe in science. Science is the study of life where as religion is a practice of copyright where if you don't "shut the fuck up and listen to what I say" philosophy is used to control those who are less mentally stable. If power is something you desire in life (like a school bully aka god/satan) that you are choosing to be stupid, and you should know that there is someone who is a master at being stupid (satan). He don't exist in life but death so you better be good and you better not spout. If you can shame someone one for wearing knock off brand clothes at school/public or are one to laugh either to fit in or be in fear of being made fun of next then you are a possessive person (a person who is easily persuaded). If not for this religion you so blindly follow convincing you to treat other people as less than human for not being part of your religion when you asked them to. Then how long would it take for someone who did what the church did to you (psychic readings and subconscious manipulation) to do the same thing you do to non-believers but to everyone else. The question was never about if god existed or not, but if you think we are going to voluntarily treat people like shit for our own benefit then you are sadly mistaken. You can twist words around all you want in you little study room(church) but truth comes from action not words. You don't need a bible to want to help the poor the bible is what you use to ignore real people.

4

Because science works. When scientists tell us there will be a total eclipse to the very minute and the very spot on Earth to View it, it happens. When Jesus says I will return before this generation passes away... well we’re still waiting. This is just one example, but science is constantly telling us things that work, and religion tells us useless stories.

1

A scientific hypothesis is formed and tested then retested again and again to prove validity. If the hypothesis is proven wrong, a new one is formed and tested until a conclusion is reached.

Faith generally goes something like this:

Jesus loves me
this I know
for the bible tells me so

4

I read a comment about a year ago and since I'm paraphrasing from memory and I haven't asked her permission to use her thought I won't specify where I got it except to mention that it isn't from me originally.

'All throughout history people have thought they had -- often supernatural -- explanations for things -- the sun was a light being dragged across the sky by Apollo, thunder was dwarves playing ten-pins in the mountains or so forth. But when we were able to get closer looks we realized that there were secular mechanisms that explained things and obviated the supernatural. On the other hand, how many times has it gone the other way? We used to have a secular explanation but now we realize that the thing we see is really caused by that god over there or that magician or that rabbit's foot in our pocket or whatever -- exactly zero!'

That's why science is more believable than religion -- science has demonstrated over and over and over to be more correct than religion. Religion has ever only been able to play 'god-of-the-gaps'. When knowledge moves in, religion has to leave.

2

Science is based on theory proved by evidence. It is fact, not faith.

Write Comment
You can include a link to this post in your posts and comments by including the text q:586
Agnostic does not evaluate or guarantee the accuracy of any content. Read full disclaimer.