Thursday, June 30, 2005

Reconcilliation (MSU)

Is there a way to reconcile science and religion?
One can be religious without being scientific, or be scientific without being religious. One can’t do both, not at the same time. They are two contradictory elements of thinking. Science knowledge is acquired by reason. Religion is acquired by making shit up. Another term one might use is faith. Faith = “making shit up”.

The problem with words, especially in the English language is that one word can have more than one meaning so things are unclear or uncertain. English was meant to be that way, mainly to confuse and render any topic utterly arguable simply because of the many misunderstandings the debaters engage upon. So without question, let me make my self clear. Faith not using the term loosely (not meaning confidence), but faith meaning totally and utterly without reason (in other words “making shit up”). Believing in object (A) without any reason to do so.

Integrity and how to have it. It is especially difficult have integrity after one has had an education if your family is made up of church people. The problem comes with yourself and how you choose to believe. Do you choose to believe with Faith (msu) or do you choose to live within reason and real world. The problem with the real world is that most people that live in it (msu). So one really has to think on how to live life and have a clear conscience while living it. If one wants to be humble, and real, you don’t lie so no (msu). However if one isn’t intelligent enough to reconcile the facts that reason and faith can’t co-exist, then no problem. One just believes in what others mu.

Please don’t take offence at the definition of faith I have provided here. This document is only meant to explain how critical thinkers think about integrity and life that surrounds them. It is unfortunate that many can’t empathize or understand our world view. Integrity is a valuable part of the human experience. Without the need for it, I personally would gladly go back to church and sing the party line. However with the education I have received and the knowledge about the world that I have gained through reason, I could never step into a church and maintain integrity all at the same time. So I put it to you, how do you reconcile integrity with faith? I can’t do it, and I am sure no one I know can really understand what I mean without first hand experience.

A belief system is a serious thing to examine. And for many it is hope of life after death. Why is that important, isn’t the contribution we are making here and now important and significant? If you don’t think it is, then what of integrity. This document only meant to shed light on people with no room for a belief system where there is life after death. Why is it so important for others to share the hope (or false hope as it would be to us). It definitely isn’t from integrity, but faith. What we believe to be a false confidence of a type of Religion, whether it be Christ, Islam, or Buddha.

After much consideration the only resolution I can see of people of faith are two probable reasons they use faith.

1: Because it was what they were taught young in life and haven’t gone to college and reasoned things out with philosophers.
2: Because they lack integrity.

Give me a third reason? And don’t say Faith is real, faith is defined accurately above.
Now I know I have offended people. And that is why critical thinkers suffer.


Wait a moment, suffering. We critical thinkers suffer much more than the faith users. If we go to church we are seen as hypocrites. Or worse, people without integrity. Remember what Christ said about being humble? Why should any of this bother you if you abide by the teachings of your religious faith? Why bring it into question? Because having integrity is a requirement for being humble.

If you are unable to think for yourself, the faith users will go to someone of authority, say a preacher or a priest, and receive “reason” from these characters. Unfortunately, these characters don’t use reason to conclude anything. They use what is taught them on faith (see definition above). Then the faith users go oh, ok then I will see ya in heaven.

So back to the primary question and reason for this document. If your intelligent, and know how to think, and you use faith as your primary tool for gaining knowledge, how do you reconcile that with integrity? I really want to know how its done, because I know that msu is not a reasonable way to gain knowledge.