Respectfully, Yorick, I did read the previous posts. I was asking for clarification. What I wanted to know is where do math and physics fit into your scheme? It matters not. I'll concede the point that my statements about Theology were a bit misplaced. They didn't come out how I wanted them to. Such are the vagaries of my sieve-like short term memory. [img]smile.gif[/img]
If we follow the dictionary definitions we get the following comparison:
re·li·gion
n.
1.
a.Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b.A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2.The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3.A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4.A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
sci·ence
n.
1.
a.The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of
phenomena.
b.Such activities restricted to a class of natural phenomena.
c.Such activities applied to an object of inquiry or study.
2.Methodological activity, discipline, or study: "I've got packing a suitcase down to a science."
3.An activity that appears to require study and method: the science of purchasing.
4.Knowledge, especially that gained through experience.
5.Science Christian Science.
Both these came off of Dictionary.com and so are from the American Heiritage Dictionary. From reading both of these carefully I see how Religion could be practiced in a science like manner but still fail to see how Science is a religion except perhaps in an extreme sense of the fourth definition of religion. There is no place for such things as: "Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe." God cannot be axiomated and so cannot be hypothesised or theorized. That's part of the mystery of God (to me at least). And inasmuch a creator or what not should be ignored when doing science lest it cloud the judgement of the scientist. There have been many theories that were wrong that have been persued over the years because people's ambitions or beliefs clouded their judgment. I was poking around on the web looking for a famous math proof that supposedly showed the existance of God. Couldn't find it so my poor explanation will have to do. The man's proof was that only God could create something out of nothing and presented a series of squences that summed a bunch of zeros (1 + (-1)). Unfortunetly his logic was incorrect. He couldn't see this because he was looking for proof of God. Isn't faith enough?
I'll wrap this up by reiterating that Science is not Religion and should never be. There are those of us who seemingly worship technology, the unholy bastard offspring of war and science research, and there are those who eschew the holy and the divine in favor facts and theorems but the practice of science should remain inviolate.
As for the subject of war and religion. I respectfully withdraw myself from this discussion. I am afraid that I might go to the point of being disrespectful and rude and that's not the way I would ever want to be online. If ever I deserve to be punched because of my words I want to be punched.
DeSoya