Theos-Talk Archives (December 2005 Message tt00267)

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "kpauljohnson" <kpauljohnson@y...> 
wrote:

 
> It is indeed true that for some, the kind of fanaticism and 
dogmatism 
> traditionally associated with religion are instead directed toward 
> science. However, one point made by Judge Jones on this score 
struck 
> home with me. The ID proponents try to pretend that science is 
just 
> as dogmatic as religion, blah blah, and therefore resistance to 
their 
> claims is purely due to prejudice and closedmindedness. But Jones 
> makes the point that there are HUGE incentives for scientists to 
come 
> up with evidence that completely overturns an 
existing "orthodoxy."  
> It's considered one of the greatest accomplishments possible.  
> Whereas with religion, it's sufficient to get you ostracized at 
best 
> and executed at worst.


Dear Paul,

Point taken. Because the scientific method includes observation, 
experimentation, testing, checking and verification, it acts as a 
safeguard againts "definitive" theories. OTOH, a kind 
of "undergroung" or "inherent" orthodoxy may be there in some areas 
of science such as the insistence of neuroscience to view 
consciousness as just an epiphenomenon of the brain's chemistry. The 
efforts of Sir John Eccles, Varela, Maturana, Wilber, Harman, to name 
only a few, who tried to show that consciousness is primary both in 
humans as well as in nature as a whole, fell on deaf ears.

Having said that, I would suggest that of all the three avenues 
explored by the Theosophical Movement since its inception, only 
science has really progressed. Philosophy, by and large, has become a 
very sophisticated and specialized scholarly exercise, without much 
light to throw on core human problems today. And religion continues 
to bitterly divide people in many countries and to be a "useful" 
platform for supremacists ideologies.


pedro


PS I wouldn't be so sure that a troll is mostly a he.