Beyond Belief: Carolyn Porco On Science & Religion, Part 1

[53redditheadit]

We can't reliably weigh a soul yet can we...?Life is supposed to begin at conception. I mean, you can't just take a baby out of the womb and ask it, "Do you have a soul yet?" Think about that...

[Mindslave1985]

I'm in love

[adequatelg2s]

Also, since I grok it might need to be clarified: Yoans are not the average 'religious' people. They are not suicide bombers or child-molesting priests. They are open-minded, curious, thinking people who feel a deep connection to the wonderful and ineffable nature of nature. Carl Sagan was a perfect example of a Yoan, even though he might not have known it himself.

[adequatelg2s]

Reading the comments and can only think "... and that's why Yoism stopped using the word 'God'." Yo is not the god that you guys may or may not believe in. If there's any other adequate word for Yo, then Tao would be more to it. Or just 'the mystery of existence'. Or simply 'the course of nature'.

[UrDevilsAdvocate]

Questions for theist. Religion has claimed science tries to pull ppl from god, only to accept its results later. Religion has also used science to back its claims. So isn't science useful. Why not let scientists work and accept the results? Are theist afraid they will be let down by religion? Differentiate religion from god, and, science cant prove/disprove any gods existence. Religion--- wont disprove and cant prove any gods existence. So why cant the two get along? Please respond.

[shayneby]

She so confidently believes in the big bang. Where did the big bang come from?

It's not as easy as she makes it. "We all Know"?

No you don't know yourself.

No matter how confident you are about the big bang and how much you try to block every thought before it happened, you would be stupid not to. Are we now playing mind control not to think about it?

Poppycock! Don't be stupid.

[STFUNOWlol]

It's not a stretch to think that the universe goes through a never-ending process of expanding and contracting down to a singularity, then the big bang starts it all over again.

And even if it was, just because we don't know now, doesn't mean we won't know later.

[shayneby]

Here we go again with assumptions and presuppostitions, presumptions, maybes, could have beens, possiblys, likelys, guesses NONSENSE.

And the famous "just because we don't know now, doesn't mean we won't know later. "

Keep fooling yourself. Spend the remainder of your life fooling yourself. You've been all this while, so what the heck!

[STFUNOWlol]

Yeah! Screw you assholes trying to find out more about the universe we live in! Thank god for hell!

[yoismspain]

What other options are there?

[shayneby]

go figure

[yoismspain]

I will : )

[shayneby]

have a guess.

[ThePipersNicks]

what's your preferred explanation?

[ashman165]

That, however, isn't the geometry of our universe.

[ashman165]

Where did your god come from? What about all the other gods? Where did they come from?

It simply won't do to ask "where did the big bang come from" when you clearly lack an understanding of what the model says. I know this because you talk about "before" the big bang. That's a meaningless statement. It carries the same meaning of asking what is north of the North Pole, or what number is bigger than infinity.

[shayneby]

there is no bang without a cause. even an idiot knows that

[ashman165]

I'll agree that you're an idiot; however, that has nothing to do with "the big bang". Do some research, and some learning and then come back and talk with the adults.

[drewsmilitia]

Those galactic, spiral arms look damn similar to Noodley Appendages.

Just saying.

[Punkandfunk420]

People need to stop gettin so sensitive about other people's opinions. Athiests and Catholics are the biggest babies of them all.

[cthulhu12345]

OK, but don't be a baby when someone comes to you and tells you with no doubt in their eyes that you're going to burn in a lake of fire for a billion years, because a book he believes was written by the creator of the universe says so. Oh, yeah, and then the same preson goes and wins the elections. Becomes president. I mean, wtf?

[rationalmuscle]

You're right. I am a baby. I need tit in my mouth.

[choiboydaman517]

god is not a belief, god is a feeling of knowing, a feeling of you and the creator as one. no religion allowed.

[DigitaLOutpuT]

There are many, many different types of religions. All of them have absolutely no evidence what so ever to back up there theory's. The only way i see that religion can relate to science is that it is a theory, it has not been proven to be true, or false. But the amount of other theory's we have today in the 21'st century seem a lot more plausible than the "God" theory which was made up centuries ago... Humans are a lot smarter now. More & more people are starting to realize what the universe is.

[kailabreece]

Science is one of the greatest gifts humanity has ever given itself.

[Energyium]

with the vastness of space and the numbers of galaxies

with planets and stars there must be other intelligent beings

hope we find out someday

[leostotch]

Agreed. The universe is mysterious and amazing. The real question is why do atheists, people who do not believe in God, consider themselves experts on a subject they don't believe in or understand. Not only that but they also preach so hard against something they say isn't real and doesn't matter to them anyway.

[ExtraxiTerra]

It does matter if people believe in something unprovable such as God. Having people believe in God with a blind faith in society around you does affect even the atheists. Blind faith is outside of rational argumentation and can therefore lead to undesired consequences. You can't reason with people on subjects where they have strong faith. I'd like to see you explain to the 911 terrorists that what they do is wrong without getting the reply "you lie! my faith is strong, blah blah, go to hell."

[ExtraxiTerra]

Since when does being an expert (in an academic meaning) have had anything to do with faith? People who believe in what can't be proven are even more in the dark than atheists who mostly do not believe that God does not exist but instead find it very probable (99.9%+) that God does not exists. The difference is that they acknowledge that they don't know for sure but that doesn't give any basis to think that anyone else can detect what they can not.

[landcruiserlarry]

atheists Blindly DON"T believe in God, just because you cannot prove OR disprove something, you can't dismiss it, Extra, you really need to do some thinking, your logic is flawed

[ExtraxiTerra]

Look out of your window for a sec. See the Pink Elephant there? Oh noes, he just went away before you saw him, he must be shy. Now... can you disprove the elephant being there in the first place or not? My logics is telling me that I'm telling you bullshit. But why on earth should I treat God on other grounds as this Pink Elephant while accepting that he can't be dismissed? The argument for not being able to disprove the existence of God is one of the weakest around.

[Punkandfunk420]

Your right about that being the weakest arguement for God. But just saying, "you can't prove God!" is just as weak. I mean its very possible that God created science. He could have set evolution into motion. I mean atheists that say, "well God can't exist cause we evolved from monkeys" has very low intelligence and a closed mind that can't think outside the box. But that also goes for Christians that say "well we couldn't have came from monkeys cause we were created by God". SCIENCE=RELIGION

[ExtraxiTerra]

And basically telling that we can't prove or disprove with certainty anything is equal to saying that we can't dismiss anything. My argument was aiming at accepting the more probable solutions to have at least some clarity in this world. And if you're still gonna go like "God can't be dismissed, therefore he exists" and "atheists blindly DON't believe in God" then I suggest you look up the odds and get a bit more familiar with probability theory because clearly the arguments favour the atheists.

[ivionday]

christians blindly DON"T believe in the flying spaghetti monstor. open your eyes! Just because you cannot prove or Disprove soemthing, You can't dismiss it!

[cayetanoluis]

"The real question is why do atheists, people who do not believe in God, consider themselves experts on a subject they don't believe in or understand."

What subject would that be? Many atheists are ex-theists who were raised to believe in God but then found the arguments for God too silly to digest. A good reason for "preaching" against something one doesn't believe in is because one thinks - whether rightly or wrongly - that this something is doing great harm. There's your answer.

[Mystep]

Who are we to decide if god exists or not. We're just specks on a speck within the infinite(or finite)universe. Be nice to people, respect their opinions,keep your views wide open and enjoy what is your only true certainty....Life.(GO HABS GO by the way)

[benjampak]

God is the saviour ?

Do u think that old fairytales u guys read have the answers to our future ?

The answer to humanitys future is a total destruction of such books, and respect all people no matter race and culture. That is not possible under religion. Because u guys don't respect other people. To heal ur soul u should do sum spiritual work. I mean helping ppl and animals in need.

That's spiritual rewarding, not reading in a book, and praying 2 some being wich will NEVER come to our aid.

[hiccupofirony]

i dunno. why don't all you who are so into proof -- who don't have faith because you don't trust your emotions, your hearts (perhaps because you've been hurt and are blaming god without realizing it).... why don't you check out divinecosmos dotcom, because it's all science, and your proof is there.

by the way, look her aura. she is full of life. see the clarity surrounding her? the soft spiritual vibration ? I do, and others do too.

good luck, lovers.

[Rapheal123]

carolyn You might be a great scientist but not a religous bible believing scolar the bible would have the answers you seek but like most cathlics i met you dont know it the human condition is sin and God is the saviour through his son jesus and it was he that created what your learning you might want to study it.

[alekivk]

You're a moron

[Rapheal123]

Your Debating terminology is interesting but i think that statement goes to you , if you refuse to hear listen or read truth , well you know the rest be well carry on with or debating skills

[afireinside945]

I totally agree. I do really like Carolyn Porco and i think the Cassini expedition is badass. However, i don't think that she deals with the question of religion well at all. I don't think i turned to Christ for any of the reasons she's suggested nor are they what i look for in my relationship with him

[FlailingJunk]

She is clearly a smart woman, but she has no clue why people are attracted to religion.

[jmm1233]

the universe is god , because the without the universe there would be no one to say the word god . this vid shows the glory of the omnipresent universe.

[Loroz92]

science is nerdy

[yocom2]

Is that a comment? Or a typographic fart?

[introper]

or at least stop putting everyone's names in capitals. it reads really weirdly.

[VerdiusValentius]

Just stop talking mr. jesuschristdiedforu.

[yocom2]

Ya think? I'm convinced.

[Philos2006]

Jesuschristdiedforu: Honor your god. Put aside your primitive belief. Pick up a science book and learn.

[kurtilein3]

your yo sucks.

you failed to prove the existence of yo. as long as the existence of your strange new-age god is not proven, it would be stupid to believe in it.

it does not seem plausible that your religion is open-source-code, because the only thing i would like to add is that yo doesnt exist.

[yocom2]

How about pointing out the flaws in the arguments proving Yo exists (look in the left-hand column of the yoism dot org homepage for the proof of the existence of Yo and The Word According to Yo). Otherwise you are arguing by fiat, by the dictates of "kurtilein3 said so!" Now THAT sounds like religious thinking to me.

[Lockmanship]

Science and Religion and Syncretism

Science- systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation.

Religion- the practice of religious beliefs; ritual observance of faith.

Syncretism- the merging of two or more originally different inflectional forms.

[Hobyx]

Before she started the geeky but pretty slide show, she summed up the two "needs" that drive people to religion quite nicely. Disconnection and fear of death.

[ibelin1]

People that know god have no fear of death! Understanding comes from faith! Only then will you know the truth! You have only theories none that are based on facts! Thats the problem with science you think because you say it, it is fact. You are being deceived! Science is the myth And the great falsehood of all time!

[hellcat059]

Wow, ibelin1, you just changed my life. Let's be idiots together.

[delphiote]

Exclamation marks at the end of a sentence make it true.

[revtyson]

He thinks faith is understanding... What a n00b! Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence. Faith is greatest falsehood of all time! n00bies...

[ibelin1]

I feel very very SORRY for you!!!

[alanshvetz]

Don't you find it slightly ironic, that you're decrying science, on a computer! On the internet! On a media sharing website!

Go live in a cave if you hate science. God never gave us sh*t, except war and arbitrary rules.

[guitarlampclock]

here here!!!

[askegg]

You had better stop using the products of science before you go to hell. In case your wondering, that includes your computer, phone, car, synthetic materials, medicines, paints, electricity, calculators, etc. I would say "join the Amish", but alas they also use technology - although a little more primitive.

[guitarlampclock]

I don't like you ibelin1. if you were born in the middle east you'd have blown yourself up by now. science is nothing but facts. your the one that's been deceived. there are virtually no holes in any scientific argument.

[putittogether]

YOUR GOD IS A vindictive blood thirsty ethnic cleanser, masaganistic, homofobic, raciest, infanticidal, genocidal, finicidal, pestilential, megamaniacal, sadomasochistic, capricious malevolent bully.

[yocom2]

And those are His GOOD POINTS!