Daniel Dennett – Do Science & Religion Conflict?

29 thoughts on “Daniel Dennett – Do Science & Religion Conflict?”

1. Auto anthropology. I like that 🙂

2. I'm not sure if anyone turned attention at one striking fact. We know that our physics is incorrect, that Newton and Maxwell in their great equations were wrong about surrounding us nature. We also know that even the most beautiful and exact theories humanity ever discovered the GTR and QED are wrong (some can claim "incomplete" but it doesn't matter). And knowing that this scientist is saying with certainty that because he cannot measure god so god doesn't exist, that whole biology can be perceived as just Darwin theory. Gush what a sort of vanity. Actually as a honest scientist he could say "yes maybe god is not needed but actually we don't know, yes there are some physics laws which seem to describe the reality but we know that they are in some sense defective" and finally "don't ask me about god because honestly I'm not interested in this subject". But unfortunately we got a sort of all-know to not write smart-axx. Pathetic.

3. My question to the religiously minded is ,' what's in it for God, Ie. why did he bother to create the Cosmos?
   Never yet had a convincing answer.

4. Of course Dennett doesn’t realize that Natural Theology existed long before Hume 🤣. I’m sure he’s great in his field by my God, I don’t know if a greater ignoramus exists on planet earth on the philosophical.

5. "Science has it's limitations" therefore god.

6. Daniel Dennett reminds me of a religious fundamentalist. They know that they know. Lawrence Kuhn knows that he doesn't know. I am more on the latter side.

7. Morality does not need religion, but religion needs more morality.
   
   Numbers 31:17-18
   
   Leviticus 21:17-23
   
   Leviticus 25:44-46
   
   Timothy 2:11
   
   1 Peter 2:18
   
   Deuteronomy 21:18-21
   
   Ephesians 6:5
   
   A particular action or choice is moral or right when it promotes happiness, wellbeing, or health and minimizes serious harm or suffering. A particular action or choice is immoral or wrong when it diminishes happiness, wellbeing, or health and causes serious harm or suffering. The world would have been much better off without religion stifling scientific progress for over a thousand years. Religious apologists lie all the time about science. How many millions have died in history in the name of religion? How has any god helped the millions of women and children that die or suffer from abuse each year? I dare you to look up total women and children abuse and mortality rates for your country and world. Go to a children's hospital and tell all the children and parents there that their suffering for months and years is a god's will. Only reason any religion survived is by the end of a sword. Religion has and will continue to make the world worse except for the people that turn a blind eye to the cause of suffering and death.

8. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now it was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over.

   And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

9. The reason why people don't deny religion, regardless of whether or not it is "true", is mostly because imo religion/spirituality/transcendentalism offers a profound meaning to life that science cannot. Science also cannot answer normative questions especially in the realm of ethics, morality, and value

10. Is not the Bible full of scientific assertions that only later came to be 'discovered' as true by our latter understanding of science though?
    
    A few from Genesis –
    
    Time, Space & Matter are fundamental & co-dependent
    
    circaseptan rhythms in humans & nature
    
    120 years is the limit to human life (check modern records & pay attention to one interesting case from 1997)
    
    This list goes on & on: cosmology, biology, medicine, environment, oceanography
    
    It's one outstanding co-incidence after another. Unless of course, the inspiration behind the various authors knew everything to begin with..

11. Whew, is this recent? Dennett is holding up so much better than the other Four Horsemen have. Must be that ol' Kringle magic.

12. Excellent discussion. So aggravating watching religion and religious organizations, like Templeton, attempt to coopt science. "God, the master of ceremony." Stealing that!

13. No, but scientists and religionists simetimes do.

14. No, they should not conflict.

15. Ironically, the very foundational core of ancient religion was that very notion of Truth (or Maat in ancient Egypt).
    They undertsood very well the difference between objective reality that is shared by all and subjective reality as a personal perspective and/or self delusion/lie.
    What links that objective reality and truth to God, was the search for and proof of intelligent design, within the process of creation.
    The archaic 5 stages of matter went from Aether > Fire (soul) > Air (mind) > Water (spirit) > Earth (body), which is no different to field > plasma > gas > liquid > solid.
    It is simply describing phases transitions as the universe cooled. That are also signs of octave or fractal boundaries, for those transitions. That is objective reality.

    Is there conclusive proof of intelligent design or conclusive proof against intelligent design ?
    The ancients believed that geometry was the language of the Gods, or those that were ignorant of it could not enter the temple as a consequence, as they were ignorant of the language of God.
    It is high level abstract geometry, inherent within nature, as an evolved expression of low level maths, that is the proof of that intelligent design as abstract thought.

    Their research was taken to its most advanced understanding through spherical trigonometry, rainbow physics, spherical sunrise and octaves of the wavelengths of light and sound, expressed through poles/rods/cylinders.
    The colour that the eye sees is not objective reality, neither is the sound that we hear.
    The colour that wee see is an abstract representation of the electromagnetic wavelengths and vibrations, that the s/m/l cones and rods receive and are harmonically tuned to pure blue (primary), green (Primary) and yellow (secondary).

    It is through unravelling the minds abstract representation of the objective reality of the colour spectrum, that is proof of intelligent design.
    As with any sensor, they all require function tables abstraction to convert physical measurement into internal representation.
    The design of such an abstract representation system, requires intelligence.

16. I can't watch any Dennett interviews anymore, because he's told an observation on CTT once before I'd rather not know.. unfortunately I cannot "un know" it. He informed that our full vision spectrum only captures an are about the size of a quarter, EVERYTHING else is peripheral. Indoor, outdoor, close, far… it doesn't matter. Upon simply looking he is right. I wish I never heard that.. ignorance was bliss. So I'm scared to listen to him speak lol. Seems silly huh? In my 50s and he's managed to take some innocence away from me lol. I kinda think he told that one on purpose too 😡. Gonna like.. but that's it lol.

17. Science and religion have something in common…the search for the truth…god bless everyone

18. Science is barely in it's infancy and has a long way to go. How can you reconcile what we currently know, which is by no means the complete picture, with religion, which has been established for thousands of years?

19. Quran's Science As It Is – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuq23pklsx4&t=491s – Spread the truth and let the whole world know.

20. Visual proof that Santa Claus is real.

21. Again it’s a belief. You believe in big bang theory because it’s theoretically possible. But none of us witnessed big bang. why theory is better than religion beliefs?

22. 2:17–2:41 "Let's look at each side of this equation, the theology side and the science side … from the methodologies that are involved in each one: how can we define it simply … because the methodologies are so different therefore they are like two different dimensions and canpas equally?"
    
    Mr. Dennett comes up with the answer to a different question. He doesn't mention theology at all but suddenly the question is somehow about "emotional truth":
    
    3:03–3:17 "There isn't the scientific truth and then emotional truth. No, there's truth. And the scientific method is the best method we've come up with yet for getting at the truth, and it can get at the truth of emotions."
    
    I don't doubt that for a second. But equalling theology to "emotions" is quite a bit of a stretch of course. From the Cambidge Dictionary:
    
    emotion -> a strong feeling such as love or anger, or strong feelings in general
    
    theology -> the study of religion and religious belief, or a set of beliefs about a particular religion
    
    The terms are not equal. Which disqualifies Mr. Dennett's reply.

    7:22–7:30 "I want to know how theology aims at the truth without following in the footsteps of science."
    
    This summarizes the remainder of the video. The interviewer comes up with two approaches: "natural theology" which is quickly dismissed and rightly so, and "reveal technology" which Mr. Dennett calls "auto anthropology": "should we take it any more seriously than we take the river god of those people on that island?"
    
    Yes, I think we should, since there is actually much that hints at God's existence. I will only give one example, to keep this post relatively short. But if anyone is interested, I can provide more. Just state so in a reply.

    In their book Memories of Heaven Wayne Dyer and Dee Garnes have compiled over 200 conversations with young children who say they remember heaven, where they were before they were born. "Over 200" is rather structural, and besides, there are plenty of examples of this phenomenon on the internet; these are clearly not a few cases where children have let their imaginations run wild. As they grow older, the memory fades and disappears, as we all have with what is no longer relevant to our daily lives. A few quotes:

    _Her Father asked what Jesus was like, and Lorna's face lit up. "He was pretty," she told her father. "He had shiny eyes and He made us all glad."

    April then responded, "I talked to Mr. Jesus." To which her father said, "When did you talk to Mr. Jesus?" What she said next amazed him. She said, "When I was in heaven."

    I cautiously asked, "Was he [Jesus] talking back?"
    
    "Yes"
    
    "What was he saying?"
    
    "He was saying he made the clouds."
    
    "Why do you look so unhappy?"
    
    "Because I used to be with him. Now he just talks to me."_

23. Intellectuals seek desperately for Truth but unfortunately their efforts are thwarted due to polarization in their respective fields. If they would accept that ABSOLUTE TRUTH does exist, and take an interdisciplinary approach, they would most certainly find it.
    I was a hardcore scientifically minded individual only interested in facts. Reading dozens upon dozens of books on Relativity, and Quantum Mechanics, and understanding both subjects very well. My quest in this search for Truth was fueled by the abject terror I had for death. I desperately needed to know the Truth about life because once you’re dead, all bets are off.
    At one point I made a conscious decision to abandon my well trained logically thinking mind and dive into a field I had always assumed was completely illogical; the Holy Scriptures.
    I joined a small non-denominational church and walked down the isle receiving Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was “told” by the pastor that I was now saved and going to Heaven; really? I didn’t feel any different and my sinful desires remained unchanged.
    Being the scientifically minded individual that I was, I wasn’t about to accept being told I’m saved; I needed CERTAINTY!
    I thought to myself, if the religious community is using the Holy Bible to teach and gain this knowledge and dogma, why not investigate it on my own? It seemed a very logical way to proceed.
    I purchased the King James Bible on CD, and listened to it constantly while stuck in rush hour traffic commuting back and forth to work. This was a total of 3 hours a day 5 times a week; 15 hours of Word a week is a lot of scripture feeding! This went on for over 3 years where it came to the point that not only did I have scores and scores of scriptures memorized, but also entire CHAPTERS memorized verbatim word for word! I had a lot of word in my head, but the software hadn’t downloaded to my heart!
    One day on Saturday March 25,1995 I was alone at the beach in my car listening to worship music, reading God’s Word, and loving God with all my mind, heart, soul, and strength. I remember reading to “love your enemies”, something I could never understand. I looked up to the sky with nothing but overwhelming love for Jesus; I thought to myself, “how beautiful it would be to just like Jesus”!
    No sooner had I thought this when suddenly it happened, it really happened! I saw something “open” inside my mind and all those scriptures that had been “buffering” for the past 3 years suddenly downloaded, opening my blind eyes, and skyrocketing my brain processes to unimaginable levels! I was in utter TERROR and thought to myself, “how is this possible Lord, how can a mere man understand GOD?”
    Several scriptures came rushing to the forefront but I will only mention 2 here:

    “Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.”
    (Proverbs 2:5)
    “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY IS UNDERSTANDING.”
    (Proverbs 9:10)

    The best way to describe what I felt that morning was HOLINESS had entered me, and in the process of this the demons that had been with me my entire life and I didn’t even know were there, had jumped out of me with a hideous screech!
    I also noticed an amazing phenomena when I began reading the Bible. I had always read and listened to the Bible as a 3rd person, this apostle is writing to this other apostle, this scripture doesn’t apply to me; for the very first time those same words were now HOLOGRAPHIC jumping out of the pages and speaking directly to me! I was as blind as a bat and only picked the nice soothing scriptures for me while mentally deflecting the harsh severe scriptures for the apostle who I thought the scriptures were being written to. I also knew that God had planned this all out from the beginning when I read:

    “But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for YOU, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen YOU to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the TRUTH: Whereunto he called YOU by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
    (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14)

    I can’t express enough how addicted I became to the Word after that day! It’s no wonder scholars claim the Bible to be filled with contradictions; only after receiving the Spirit does everything make perfect sense! The Bible’s LOGIC is SUPERNATURAL and incalculably PERFECT!
    Humans can’t see this by casual reading and observation but only by the revelation of God himself. It’s no wonder when you read the following scripture, I came to the clear understanding the scripture is speaking of ITSELF, as Jesus is himself the Word made Flesh!

    “I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME.”
    (John 14:6)

    That is why the scripture the follows says:

    “If ye had known ME, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have SEEN him.”
    (John 14:7)

    I hope and pray that through my ordeal and quest for Absolute Truth, people my come to the unmistakable conclusion that there is ONLY ONE WAY to God, and that is through his Word!

    “Being BORN AGAIN, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the WORD OF GOD, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
    (1 Peter 1:23)

24. I love you Dr. Dennett!!

25. Feel so good to see the wonders of the world and shout: Thank you, God, for all your creation and for being the greatest Scientist of all.

26. calculated softball questions to make Daniel Dennett seem smarter than he actually is

27. It not a case of ''Wouldn't it be nice '' at all …DD' S premise is inadequate.

28. Science by definition can only investigate the objective.
    Mysticism is an investigation of the subjective. (As are other things, like art, etc.)
    Mysticism is as ignored by science as it is by religion.

29. I wish proponents of atheism would look into religious concepts outside the Western framework.
    Brahman has never had a job description.

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