More religious stuff

It is pretty basic to state that a lot of people spend a lot of time trying to figure out where we came from and what the point of life is. Still, it is part and parcel of everyday life. It is pretty hard to go even a day without encountering a discussion over something religious or science related. And frequently one or the other of those discussions can cover where we come from.
It is sad there is so much dishonesty and misinformation floating around about the origins of mankind. I think the debate over the origins of humans is more revealing about the semi-informed people than it is about the origins. An astounding number of underinformed people think they are much better informed.
It is frequently assumed by one group of people that religion and good science cannot coexist. Another group assumes that science has been replaced by pseudo science. Still other people try to fit science into the mold their religious beliefs insists it must follow and yet others try to fit science into the mold their evolutionary belief needs.
A couple of huge (and false) assumptions seem to set the ground rules for the whole debate. There are others, but for tonight I only feel like looking at two that seem to enter every conversation I have on the subject.
The hugely inaccurate assumption is often made that groups all religious groups together. This is baltantly inaccurate and leads to blindness about reality. The catholic church, as I discussed last night, would like oyu to believe they were the only religious body in existence during the middle ages and that viewpoint, combined with stupidity such as the Promise Keepers, has led modern public forums to examine all religion as if it were the same.
That is as flawed as saying all scientists are the same. A geneticist can talk in terms that mystify an astronomer who in turn can confuse a chemist. There is some overlap but overall the fields take different approaches. The person who talks of "what science says" is guilty of a stereotype that is as inaccurate as saying redheads have short tempers.
Certainly there are some religious groups who demonstrate ignorance and intolerance from a high level and sometimes throughout many levels. This is not true in every community but can be in many. And it illustrates one flaw with these religious groups...denominations with earthly headquarters are a violation of the very book they claim to study for their guidance...the Bible. Be that as it may, there are huge differences among the various sects that makes lumping them together inaccurate. However, the assumption that what is true of a Baptist is true of a Presbyterian continues to lead many people astray in their condemnations of religiosity.
At the same time, another huge flaw exists in the argument over Creationism or evolution. That flaw is the oft-stated claim about the sheer volume of evidence evolution has for it. Here is the problem: nobody can show a single piece. They can talk about the major amounts of evidence...but when pressed to identify one, the ugly truth comes out...THERE ISN'T ONE. Even the leading lights of the evolutionist movement, the wisest of the scientists who espouse it as accurate have admitted it must be taken on faith, just as Creationism must.
I have tried to find that evidence. I have followed thread after thread only to find outright fraud (Java Man, Piltdown Man, the famous National Geographic "discoveries") or flawed analysis...the famous color changing butterflies of England. Uhm...the last time I checked, nobody who has the integrity and intellect to examine the situation has ever questioned micro evolution. Everyone knows there is change within species...spotted owls and their indistinguishable cousins, etc...what we are trying to find is macro evolution...a monkey becoming a man (other than Congress and every other politician..as we all know, they don't count).
For a time I desperately wanted to find proof. I did not want to believe there was a God. I did not want to believe there was an Intelligent Design. I wanted to believe everything was random, that the only foundation for morality was what I decided it was...and the court of public opinion. Of course, the court of public opinion as a source of morality is a pretty dangerous thing...look at Greek, Roman, or Mohammedan society for three BRUTAL examples of that. Or even 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th century United States for those who are uneducated in the cruelty of the named societies. It has not been that long since we had institutionalized racism and legal slavery. The institutionalized racism and sexism are still around with residual effects. And not everyone realizes how devastating they are.
On one on-line list where I spend a certain amount of time there is someone who has this tagline in his signature: "Jingoistic and proud of it." Besides the ignorance, idiocy, and crudeness of the statement it illustrates how far our society has to go or someone other than me would have called him on it.
Still, my search for proof of evolution had a point. I wanted to know how this process that violated all three laws of thermodynamics (science, by the way...) could have occurred without a guiding hand. And I could not find any proof.
So I thought the next best thing would be to find all the contradictions in the Bible people are always mentioning. I researched it for several months. And I wish someone would show what they mean to me. I hate to say it, but when I read the Bible I see a unified vision. It is sometimes brutal and cruel (genocide WAS required at times in the Old Testament...such as the invasion of Canaan), shows people at their worst...but it also shows people at their best.
So ultimately what I have found is that good science and good religion coincide rather nicely. Bad science and bad religion go head to head. However, it is hard to have an objective discussion with most people because we have so much preconceived information that people on both sides prove to be uneducated and have inaccurate assumptions.
I am a big fan of illustrations so I will include one here. The "Big Bang" is feared by many people in the religious world. This demonstrates their ignorance. There is no question it happened....and no question it would fit quite well with a moment of creation. Einstein recognized this quite well...study his reaction to the discovery of Red Shift among the stars. There is no doubt that there was a defining moment where the universe began. There is no doubt it is moving from that point in time and the movement creates a shift.
Religious people can be just as lazy as some of their critics. Instead of examining this they say it did not happen and back their point up with inaccurate studies from years ago.
I have little time or patience for people who hold to views they do not understand. It does not matter what the view is...I absolutely loved it when the prof was talking about despising the Democrat who called to raise funds to "defeat the Republicans!" who, when asked why, said because they are Republicans.
If you cannot find several points to critique the Republicans on then you are indeed lazy. It is not hard. Put a Democrat in the office the Republican just left and you will simply find he is just as bad...just in different ways. Pick issues that are important to you and use them. Have a reason, a logic, and an researched understanding of your position.
SOmeday people will actually examine the actual science and at that point I wonder what will be found. Will there be proof for Creation or Evolution? I don't know. I have a suspicion...I have a hope...but that is all. I suspect that, as it was with the Greek philosophers, evolutionary theory will be tried and found wanting. And I suspect that, as in the dark and middle ages, ignorant religious types will misunderstand science and continue to suppress, change, and ignore it whole they busily work on ignoring what they should really be studying if they actually believe there is a God who will determine their fate of Heaven or Hell.