Is religion a threat to rationality and science?

[Ronn! Blankenship]

At 06:07 PM Tuesday 4/22/2008, Charlie Bell wrote:

>It seems to me you're missing the point, which is that all number of
>damaging behaviour is excused in the name of religion when it is
>otherwise not tolerated. Of *course* these things aren't exclusive to
>religion (as you rightly point out, politics is damaging too), but
>religion provides a shield.



I think the bigger point is that rather than 
being a "rational" species, humanity is most 
often a "rationalizing" species.  Its members 
commit damaging behavior — particularly against 
other members of its own species but also against 
most other things, living and non-living — and 
then look for an excuse to justify that 
behavior.  Sometimes that excuse is labeled 
"religion."  Sometimes it is labeled 
"politics."  Sometimes it is even labeled 
"science"  (e.g., the "eugenics" movement, 
sterilization of the mentally retarded, the 
Tuskegee syphilis "experiment," [ObGodwin:] the 
"experiments" of Dr. Mengele and his "colleagues" 
. . . )  And no doubt the preceding list of excuses is incomplete . . .

If we want to get to the bottom (tip?) of that 
bigger point — its underlying cause — we should 
ask why humans seem to find that committing (or 
even contemplating committing) damaging behavior 
which does actual harm to other persons, beings, 
or things makes them feel so good . . .



Three Stooges Fan Here Also Maru


. . . ronn!  :)