Quote:
Originally Posted by Topher
The following is the random thoughts put in an understandable topic of a 14 year old with a lot of questions and few answers. I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert, but I was thinking about all of this, and felt I HAD to share it. Remember that these are my views and you do not need to share them or even slightly understand them. You could always pm me if you want to….I don’t exactly find anything special about these thoughts, but please do read on!
Think about this: We have no point in the universe, we are just a random amount of matter and cells, and moreover, we are no more than an accident. Then ponder this: There is a higher power out there. He/ She/ They are the reason we are who we are. Both options have logical answers as to why they are likely. There are also more questions, and opponents of each. On one side is science, which gives us answers, but most of the time leaves us more frustrated then before.
For example: We live in a city. Our city is a part of a county (this is in perspective of the US so bear with me). Our county is a part of a State. Our State is a part of a country, which is a part of a continent, which is part of the world. Our world is earth. Our earth is one of (arguably) 8 or 9 planets in our solar system, which orbits our sun. Our solar system is, in turn, a part of the Milky Way Galaxy. There are many, many, MANY galaxies, all of which have random jumbles of cells and substances of which we may have no idea! Our universe, with all those galaxies with things inside that we can hardly dare imagine, could be one, or it could have another mess of universes. Which begs the question; when does it stop? Does it ever stop? What’s outside? Is it just empty white, is it filled with our wildest dreams and deepest desires? That’s the part of science I tend to dislike. I hate that as soon as you think you’ve gotten your answer, another appears! That’s where religion steps in.
Religion is faith, where Science is fact, or theories. Religion is believing, that somewhere out there is a higher power, a deity, a god, a spirit, nothing at all that has some impact on our day to day lives. Religion can fill all of those gaps in science that can be so frustrating at times. With religion, you can say that the entire purpose of living, is to reach the other side. It was a measure of your worth, an entry ticket into eternal bliss or the Hell of the Damned. Some religions believe you can be incarnated, either here, or some completely alternate dimension. That’s always a comforting thought that you won’t cease to exist entirely.
I hope that people can build upon these ideas, and hopefully correct me if I messed up somewhere. So which argument presents the better side? What are your thoughts? |
Religion doesn't present any argument; as you yourself say, it only picks up where our knowledge ends and begins making unfounded guesses. You're correct that our scientific knowledge is necessarily limited. We've barely managed to escape the gravity of the rock we live on; whatever is outside the bounds of our universe is a long way off yet. The important thing to understand is that religion doesn't give you any answers; it only stops to seeking those answers. Time and time again in history, science has proved religion wrong. Every time the two clash, science comes out the winner. Our knowledge is limited, but it grows. If you were to flash forward ten years, there would be many measurable ways in which science has improved our understanding of reality. The same is not true of religion.
There is no evidence suggesting that there is any hyperintelligent being obseving or controlling the universe. It is possible, of course, but mere possibility should not be enough to convince you of something. It's
possible that if you mail me all your money, I could invest it and earn you millions of dollars, but you'd be a fool to do so. You should
always demand evidence of something before you believe it to be true; any less robs you of your freedom and makes you a tool to those who might wish to manipulate you.
The limitations of science shouldn't be an aggravation. Think about how much we already know; enough that ten lifetimes wouldn't be nearly long enough to learn it all. And yet with all this knowledge, it's barely a fraction of all that there is yet to learn. Now think of how much we have achieved with our little sliver of knowledge. Human lifespan has doubled, the internet allows the entire world to communicate instantly, we've visted our moon and sent a probe outside our solar system. All this, from so little. When we've learned ten times more than what we know now, imagine what we will be capable of. Knowledge is what drives our species forward; without it, a human is little more than a rather curious monkey. With it, we already have all this. Science is the vehicle that powers our understanding of reality, and I think that makes it the most incredible thing imaginable.
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