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16th October 2010

“Anything scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion should be done and may in the end be our greatest contribution to civilisation.”

Steven Weinberg

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 16th, 2010 at 9:39 and is filed under QOTD. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

8 Responses to “16th October 2010”

  1. archaeopteryx Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 11:51

    Unfortunately, the pathologically religious are immune to evidence. They would sooner attack science.

  2. teddy............. Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 12:43

    almost everything scientists do weakens the ideas and concepts
    that the various religions use for their framework.

    but, weakening the HOLD of religion is a different matter…..and more,
    i think, concerned with the perception of ETHICS.

  3. The Atheist Advocate Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 21:36

    I thought it was spelled “civilization”so, is this quoted exactly as was written, or was it misspelled during the transfer process?

  4. Kaptain Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 22:20

    God of the gaps……so what happens when there are no more gaps? Any thoughts you guys?

  5. Atheist MC Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 22:47

    I thought it was spelled “civilization”

    Not in civilised countries it isn’t 🙂

    so what happens when there are no more gaps?

    This is a problem. Every time you (for example) find a transitional fossil the creationist sees two gaps where there was one. The ultimate gap is the “creation” of the universe and for very logical reasons this may be unknowable by any intelligence within it. There will always be somewhere for theists to insert here.

  6. Atheist MC Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 22:49

    Damn my limited html intelligence!
    …theists to insert [deity of choice] here…

  7. Atheist MC Says:
    October 16th, 2010 at 23:01

    and more,
    i think, concerned with the perception of ETHICS.

    Good one teddy. The one thing that makes me mad is the presumption that ethics (morality) stems from religion when patently, religion is just a way of codifying and appropriating behavior that society naturally acquires. Unfortunately religion then builds on fundamental ethics to make otherwise socially innocuous behavior a moral issue, thus giving it even more control. This is the battle for our age and the reason why atheism is a force for good today.

  8. romeo Says:
    October 19th, 2010 at 1:27

    Steven W. is in accord with another great scientist, ~150 ago:

    To kill an error is as good a service as, and sometimes even better than, the establishing of a new truth or fact.
    Charles Darwin

    But most religionists need a half-way house to hang their hopes when faith in an afterlife starts to crumble; and I credit recent writings of the ‘4 horsemen’ and others, for offering good (and true) reasons for living.