Harris not only forgets that his argument cuts both ways, but also fails to see how logic clearly dictates that the correct solution to the Extinction Equation would be to put an end to science rather than religion. The five major religions, Hinduism, Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam have collectively been around 33 times longer than modern science without ever once threatening the species, whereas in a mere 350 years, science has managed to produce multiple threats to continued human existence.
40 comments
Science has always been around, from the time when Neanderthals used birch sap to create glue, to the modern age. The thing is that science has developed and advanced over the centuries, while religions have been stuck in the same train of thought since their beginnings. Science is a river, flowing along, clean and clear. Religion is a stagnant pool, fetid and full of parasites.
Yup, Christianity says , dont worry about the fact that you are poor and starving, be happy because God will reward you in heaven, and wheres your tithe ?
Science says , heres a way of making fertilizer to help feed the worlds people, and tv to entertain many of them.
It took longer than 1945 to develop atomic weapons and a delivery system.
So dump your car, and get trains and planes banned. Go back to horse and wagons with 10-20 miles a day travel.
In fact, the Inquisition, by killing most of the women in several countries, as well as anyone with actual knowledge, and slaughtering the rat-hunting cats with them, caused the population to implode. That's just *one* instance.
"The five major religions, Hinduism, Chinese folk religion, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam have collectively been around 33 times longer than modern science without ever once threatening the species, whereas in a mere 350 years, science has managed to produce multiple threats to continued human existence. "
Behold the power of science compared to your(and others) superstitious nonsense.
[So the collected religions have been around for a combined 11 600 years and have not managed to even threaten the eradication of mankind ]
image
image
image
What was that?
whereas science, as we know it, has been around for a mere 350 years, and since the 6th and 7th August, 1945, the world has been under the constant threat of annihilation. ]
So tell me, how's your life been dealing with polio and smallpox?
Science produces tools. It's only stupid humans who turn those tools into weapons. If they didn't do that there would be no threat at all.
By contrast, religion has produced no global weapons, because religion produces no tools at all.
I agree that religion is no real threat to humanity, though. Certain fundamentalists are, but not any one religion or all religions.
@ Mech610
No, it really isn't. Chinese folk religion isn't just one belief. It's like trying to say that Islam, Christianity, and Judaism is the same thing because there's only one male deity involved. Tyronehster might have thought Jewish=communist=China (yes, I know that makes no sense, but neither does he), and even that might be giving him too much credit.
Science is not evil, nor are people. The battle is over control: who holds onto technology, who defines what is done in the name of God. It's a matter of responsibility, and ending science and / or religion will do no good.
But that isn't the fault of "science", which is just a method for finding out facts about the world. It's the fault of misuse of the technology resulting from scientfic achievements.
While not in its modern form, science has existed since the first human being wondered "why?"
The modern religions have only existed for a few thousand years.
Also religions are made up of people and only people can make threats. Science is a thing, it doesn't threaten, it simply tells you what it knows. How the people use that knowledge is up to them.
Science works, no matter to what end you apply it. Religion is wishful and wooly thinking, fun to masturbate to, but doesn't work in the real world.
Yes, science has produced several things that can destroy the human race: nuclear weapons, bio-weapons, chemical weapons. But it's not the scientists we have to fear unleashing these things on the world. It is the religious. I don't see a science dominated country seeking to build nuclear weapons with the expressed idea of completely destroying another nation off the planet.
science, as we know it, has been around for a mere 350 years
The whole premise of the David and Goliath myth is that applied physics (David's sling) can beat brute human force.
I'm not saying that the sling was invented by any form of scientific methodology as we understand it today, but the outcome is the same: the principles of physics, often contradictory to so-called common sense, are undeniable and are obviously being promoted by the Bible in this myth.
"science has managed to produce"
Items that people use... and I think you might just notice that people are using them to kill other people and are using religion to justify what they do.
"the constant threat of annihilation."
That would be mainly due to the religious freaks who think this life doesn't mean anything except an opportunity to spread the Word via death, destruction and torture...
Science produces tools... people use them "for the greater good". (and you should be horrified when someone uses that phrase)
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
