Religion

[opaltiger]

Sadly though I think Big Bang theorists do the same thing that religion does, they make a solution that is not all together provable. Which is why I think that it becomes such a fuss. They both want to see who's unproved solution is better. The only thing the Big Bang has is that it is considered a theory rather than a truth. This is just my opinion on the topic.

Do I have to rant again? Of course the Big Bang isn't a truth. It is a model - not a theory - that attempts to explain the formation of the universe as we know it. It is incomplete. That is hardly surprising. But that doesn't mean it is unproven. For example, the COBE mission which verified to an amazingly accurate degree predictions made on the basis of the Big Bang model.

The difference between it being a SOLUTION and not an ANSWER. A solution is an explaination, and answer is the truth.

Nothing can ever provide the truth. Science gives explanations, with the caveat that we cannot ever be 100% sure that they are correct. I think an inability to accept the fact that nothing is really certain is the reason many people can't seem to let go of religious explanations.

 

[Teh Ebil Snorlax]

The difference between it being a SOLUTION and not an ANSWER. A solution is an explaination, and answer is the truth.

Science is the quest for knowledge, not truth. The only assumption that science operates on is that the world exists, and from that assumption, it attempts to assimilate knowledge from which explanations for phenomena can be made. Given that we cannot definitively prove that anything beyond our mind exists, any quest for truth is doomed to fail. However, scientists don't look for the truth, they look at the knowledge that has been assimilated, and from this knowledge, they hypothesise about explanations for phenomena. Then they rigorously test these hypotheses and the hypotheses that are proven true to an agreed value of truth in an inherently unprovable reality are called theories, which is to say that after observation and experimentation, it has been agreed that the theory is an accurate explanation of a phenomenon.

Hence, Big Bang theory.

So the big bang never existed before people thought it up?

No, the Big Bang happened, this theory has been proven through experimentation and observation. However, there has never been any evidence for a deity, and therefore it will never be possible to reasonably believe any hypothesis which includes a deity in its framework.

 

[Dannichu]

The Big Bang happened twice.

Ask The Doctor.

 

[...]

Christian, born and raised that way. I won't elaborate any further because even I can't adequately describe the faith, seeing as each division believes in something a little different.

 

[Vladimir Putin's LJ]

You can't be born a religion :(

 

[Tarvos]

technically incorrect as Judaism is transmitted by birth -- however I think that's also Jewish ethnicity rather than religion

 

[Vladimir Putin's LJ]

Judaism is transmitted through the mother, but I'm not sure whether it's the religion also or just the ethnicity. Sarkozy is Jewish, for instance, even though he's Catholic. It's pretty complicated.

 

[shy ♡]

It's meant to be the religion as well, though it is complicated since many Jews aren't orthodox. Judaism is weird.

Also when you say it's transmitted through the mother that sounds like a disease heh.

 

[Vladimir Putin's LJ]

*insert obnoxious religion = disease joke*

 

[Tarvos]

Judaism is transmitted through the mother, but I'm not sure whether it's the religion also or just the ethnicity. Sarkozy is Jewish, for instance, even though he's Catholic. It's pretty complicated.

I don't think you can formally renounce Judaism, you can just not practice it. I'll ask my girlfriend considering she's Jewish but doesn't believe in God afaik

 

[agcurbáistí]

Hinduism and Sikhism need some love, especially considering they're much cooler and groovier than the Abrahamic religions. Also, I don't know how to stop being Catholic. Is there a website or something where you can quit? That would be handy.

 

[Tailsy]

Er. You can write a nice letter to the priest of your church and ask him.

 

[Blastoise Fortooate]

Hinduism and Sikhism need some love, especially considering they're much cooler and groovier than the Abrahamic religions. Also, I don't know how to stop being Catholic. Is there a website or something where you can quit? That would be handy.

I hear there's a communion wafer patch that you can wear to wean yourself from Catholicism.

 

[wyoming789]

Religion scares me. It sounds funny, I know, but it makes me depressed thinking about it. (Although a lot of things do, but still..) Really, I tried being Atheist because my friend is, but it just made it worse. I thought about maybe looking into maybe Buddhism or Islam, but I never got into it. Religion makes me feel wierd. I guess I count as a Christian, but I'm not to prominant.

 

[opaltiger]

Er. You can write a nice letter to the priest of your church and ask him.

Good luck with that.

How to stop being Catholic: stop being Catholic.

 

[Dannichu]

Blastoise's communion wafer patch suggestion was funny, but in seriousness, "giving up" religion is a very difficult process for a lot of people; if you've been raised with a religion since birth, not only is rejecting everyting you've been taught a sometimes terrifying prospect, leaving the church also means leaving behind the church community, which is a huge source of social support for a lot of people, and, for people from more devout branches of religion (Mormons and Jehova's Witnesses spring to mind from Christianity, but the case is the same for some Catholic families), leaving the church means leaving (or being rejected by) your whole family.
"Stopping being [religion]" is an immensely difficult, long, and lonely process for a lot of people and not as simple as you guys are making it sound.

 

[shy ♡]

Blastoise's communion wafer patch suggestion was funny, but in seriousness, "giving up" religion is a very difficult process for a lot of people; if you've been raised with a religion since birth, not only is rejecting everyting you've been taught a sometimes terrifying prospect, leaving the church also means leaving behind the church community, which is a huge source of social support for a lot of people, and, for people from more devout branches of religion (Mormons and Jehova's Witnesses spring to mind from Christianity, but the case is the same for some Catholic families), leaving the church means leaving (or being rejected by) your whole family.
"Stopping being [religion]" is an immensely difficult, long, and lonely process for a lot of people and not as simple as you guys are making it sound.

I was 'raised a religion' and left it. At a rather young age, so it wasn't that big a deal; it was harder on my parents.

 

[spaekle]

Leaving christianity wasn't that big of a deal for me because my parents never went to church. Then again, I don't think they know I'm an atheist yet.

lol, I remember this one time years ago when I was looking up demonology stuff because I was bored (and find it sort of interesting despite not believing in it). My parents found a bunch of websites about demons in my web history and gave me this huge lecture about how if I'm going to be conjuring otherworldly beings they should be ones on the side of light and love and stuff. hahahahaha.

...Plus my grandma is of the "omg harry potter was written by atheists who want to turn you to satan!" sort. Oh boy is telling my family going to be fun.

 

[Minish]

Blastoise's communion wafer patch suggestion was funny, but in seriousness, "giving up" religion is a very difficult process for a lot of people; if you've been raised with a religion since birth, not only is rejecting everyting you've been taught a sometimes terrifying prospect, leaving the church also means leaving behind the church community, which is a huge source of social support for a lot of people, and, for people from more devout branches of religion (Mormons and Jehova's Witnesses spring to mind from Christianity, but the case is the same for some Catholic families), leaving the church means leaving (or being rejected by) your whole family.
"Stopping being [religion]" is an immensely difficult, long, and lonely process for a lot of people and not as simple as you guys are making it sound.

This. If you found it easy and simple, count yourself as lucky because you really are a rarity.

Apart from knowing a few people personally who came from really devout Irish Catholic families, I've experienced this a bit but in a bit of an ironic way: I was raised by a very, very non-religious family. Transitioning to (neo)paganism has been a bit difficult for me because not only do they feel anything towards religion other than "KILL IT WITH FIRE" but in the few times I've mentioned it I've pretty much been fully scorned. Thankfully my immediate family aren't as militantly atheist as the rest of the family, but I still feel like I have to very much keep it all to myself.

So yeah. Although I'm very much aware that it's much harder for one of my friends - one of the ones from an Irish Catholic family that I mentioned earlier, and she's a pagan. Ouch.

 

[Tarvos]

Good luck with that.

How to stop being Catholic: stop being Catholic.

my grandmother revoked her subscription to the catholic church actually