Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] [RELIGION] creation myths

[Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On Thu, 1 Dec 2005, Stephen Montgomery-Smith wrote:

> I will be brief, because I think we have discussed these things before, 
> and also because I am in a bit of a hurry.
>
> But it seems to me that the whole subject of epistimology (how do we 
> know what we know) is not as easy as you make it out to be.  In 
> particular, if you really start thinking about what the scientific 
> method really is, you find that it cannot be rigorously justified any 
> better than any other method.  At the end of the day, you simply get 
> down to things like "it just feels right" or "it seems to work well so 
> far."

The "it seems to work well so far" argument is valid, but "it just feels 
right" sound more like the religious approach.  With science, we test 
theories, change them, test some more, and we *make* *progress.* This idea 
of progress is very important.  Science is about testing and improving. 
Religion is about staying the same.  How can we improve on the Biblical 
account of creation?  We can't, some would say.  Why not?  Because it's 
perfect - it came straight from God.  How do you know?  Faith.

Science marches forward.  The "faithful" stay stuck in a rut.


> Another issue - I think that one has to account for the fact that I 
> might have some piece of knowledge which I just know to be true, but 
> which I cannot communicate to you (because, for example, it was a one 
> time or otherwise limited event which you happened not to have 
> experienced).  You might be doubtful that I am reporting it accurately 
> or truthfully, but you can never be sure that I am wrong.
>
> Obviously one can think of many different shades of these kinds of 
> things going on.  But the point is, I don't think that one can 
> simplistically say that the scientific method is the only sure way to 
> find the best approximation to truth.

Maybe revelation is the best way to get the truth.  Seriously.  Science is 
the best way to tell what's best.  How are you going to compare Joe's 
revelation to Bob's revelation?  If they aren't identical, they may make 
different predictions.  Science is the way to test and compare and make 
decisions and move forward.

We don't know where our ideas come from.  We really don't.  We just make 
them up.  That's fine.  Science is our way of find out which ideas are 
good and worth holding on to.

Mike

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