Reason and Faith
Robert Reich, secretary of labor in the Clinton administration wrote: "the greatest conflict of the 21st century is between; those who believe in science, reason and logic and those who believe that truth is revealed through scripture and religious dogma."
The truth revealed through scripture is subjective truth predicated by one's faith. By definition faith is belief in God, and in the doctrines or teachings of religion. Therefore, faith is the antithesis of skepticism, distrust and objective truth. I have become skeptical and distrustful of most religions, because they stifle freedom of thought, and blinds the righteous to the role faith plays in perpetuating human conflict.
Historical, arguments bolstered by faith and tradition have been made to support slavery and dismiss as heresy, the heliocentric view of the solar system. Objective truth is not affected by faith, or tradition. Logic suggests that God would expect us to acquire vast amounts of objective information and make maximum use our ability to reason. Whenever, we use scientific methods, reason and logic, we are making use of the greatest gift God has bestowed upon mankind. Otherwise, we demonstrate a capacity not significantly greater than a flock of sheep.
By not reading, listening and viewing from a variety of sources, we demonstrate a lack on intellectual curiosity. The purpose of education should be to develop critical thinking, which enables a person to evaluate all sources and come to reasonable conclusions.
Critical thinking should lead to the realization that our continued occupation of Iraq contradicts religion, because nothing in more irrational and ungodly than war. Singing "God Bless America", while we wage war reeks of blasphemy. Many in Congress insist on the sanctity of life in the womb, but 18 years later don't have a problem sending our youth to die in an imperialistic war.
The truth revealed through scripture is subjective truth predicated by one's faith. By definition faith is belief in God, and in the doctrines or teachings of religion. Therefore, faith is the antithesis of skepticism, distrust and objective truth. I have become skeptical and distrustful of most religions, because they stifle freedom of thought, and blinds the righteous to the role faith plays in perpetuating human conflict.
Historical, arguments bolstered by faith and tradition have been made to support slavery and dismiss as heresy, the heliocentric view of the solar system. Objective truth is not affected by faith, or tradition. Logic suggests that God would expect us to acquire vast amounts of objective information and make maximum use our ability to reason. Whenever, we use scientific methods, reason and logic, we are making use of the greatest gift God has bestowed upon mankind. Otherwise, we demonstrate a capacity not significantly greater than a flock of sheep.
By not reading, listening and viewing from a variety of sources, we demonstrate a lack on intellectual curiosity. The purpose of education should be to develop critical thinking, which enables a person to evaluate all sources and come to reasonable conclusions.
Critical thinking should lead to the realization that our continued occupation of Iraq contradicts religion, because nothing in more irrational and ungodly than war. Singing "God Bless America", while we wage war reeks of blasphemy. Many in Congress insist on the sanctity of life in the womb, but 18 years later don't have a problem sending our youth to die in an imperialistic war.
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