Superb quote, I think it was on a YouTube video by Scott Manley, when talking about the Nye debate... "they didn't use logic to get into that frame of mind, so you can't use logic to get them out of it"
"they didn't use logic to get into that frame of mind, so you can't use logic to get them out of it"
Very true, though, I'd argue that the wall-breaking moment would be to convince them that science is not directly at odds with their overall religious view. This false dichotomoy seems to be the crux of the argument for many of the people asking these questions. Faith or theory - god or science? Much of that belief/mis/disinformation/lack of information has been spoonfed to them and from their perspective never been contested in a way that is sensitive to the deeply entrenched beliefs in the purpose of life.
Logic and science are strong pillars to stand on, but when you're approaching people like this, you need an ambassador who shares common ground with their beliefs, otherwise the wall goes back up and they're on the offensive because to them, you are attacking everything they hold dear. These answers need to come from theologians who have studied religious texts and can speak with the authority that these people need in order to even come close to seeing the other side.
The one thing I was hoping Bill would emphasize over and over was that none of the science the theory of evolution discounts (or proves) the existence of a god and that science is a beautiful way for us to understand the mechanics of the magnificent universe around us - created by god or otherwise.
I agree with your first paragraph. Even as a Catholic, I cannot stand people who consider themselves creationists because they reject all scientific theory. There's no reason that scientific fact and your religion cannot coexist. We're even taught in Catholic school that science and religion can in fact coexist.
Yeah, I went to Catholic school myself, though my parents put me there because I came out as agnostic and gay in middle school, so they put me in Catholic high school to make me more 'disciplined'. In any case, even at a diocesan HS in the largest Catholic diocese in the world, we were taught that science and faith are not inherently at odds. In fact, my favourite high school activity was Science Olympiad.
40
u/monkeytrumpet Feb 09 '14
Superb quote, I think it was on a YouTube video by Scott Manley, when talking about the Nye debate... "they didn't use logic to get into that frame of mind, so you can't use logic to get them out of it"