[CS-FSLUG] God vs. Science

[John Mark Clayton]

I enjoyed these.  However, I'd like to see a better argument that the
"sensory perception
of the brain."  It's obvious that a living person has a brain.  Ideas?
Mark

On Dec 16, 2007 1:05 AM,  <veritosproject at gmail.com> wrote:
> This version has a slightly more entertaining ending:
> http://www.zootle.net/afda/religion-vs-science.shtml
>
>
> On Dec 14, 2007 10:03 PM, David McGlone <d.mcglone at att.net> wrote:
> > A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the
> > students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist
> > professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new
> > students to stand.
> >
> > "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"
> >
> > "Yes sir," the student says.
> >
> > "So you believe in God?"
> >
> > "Absolutely."
> >
> > "Is God good?"
> >
> > "Sure! God's good."
> >
> > "Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
> >
> > "Yes."
> >
> > "Are you good or evil?"
> >
> > "The Bible says I'm evil."
> >
> > The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a
> > moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and
> > you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"
> >
> > "Yes sir, I would."
> >
> > "So you're good...!"
> >
> > "I wouldn't say that."
> >
> > "But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most
> > of us would if we could. But God doesn't."
> >
> > The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he?
> > My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus
> > to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"
> >
> > The student remains silent.
> >
> > "No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a
> > glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.
> >
> > "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"
> >
> > "Er...yes," the student says.
> >
> > "Is Satan good?"
> >
> > The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."
> >
> > "Then where does Satan come from?"
> >
> > The student falters. "From God"
> >
> > "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this
> > world?"
> >
> > "Yes, sir."
> >
> > "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"
> >
> > "Yes."
> >
> > "So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything,
> > then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that
> > our works define who we are, then God is evil."
> >
> > Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred?
> > Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"
> >
> > The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
> >
> > "So who created them?"
> >
> > The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who
> > created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to
> > pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he
> > continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"
> >
> > The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."
> >
> > The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to
> > identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"
> >
> > "No sir. I've never seen Him."
> >
> > "Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"
> >
> > "No, sir, I have not."
> >
> > "Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have
> > you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"
> >
> > "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."
> >
> > "Yet you still believe in him?"
> >
> > "Yes."
> >
> > "According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science
> > says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"
> >
> > "Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."
> >
> > "Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with
> > God. There is no evidence, only faith."
> >
> > The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His
> > own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"
> >
> > "Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."
> >
> > "And is there such a thing as cold?"
> >
> > "Yes, son, there's cold too."
> >
> > "No sir, there isn't."
> >
> > The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room
> > suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have
> > lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white
> > heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We
> > can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any
> > further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be
> > able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."
> >
> > "Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy,
> > and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute
> > zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word
> > we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can
> > measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of
> > heat, sir, just the absence of it."
> >
> > Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like
> > a hammer.
> >
> > "What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"
> >
> > "Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't
> > darkness?"
> >
> > "You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of
> > something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing
> > light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called
> > darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."
> >
> > "In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness
> > darker, wouldn't you?"
> >
> > The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a
> > good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"
> >
> > "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start
> > with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."
> >
> > The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you
> > explain how?"
> >
> > "You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue
> > that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are
> > viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure.
> > Sir, science can't even explain a thought."
> >
> > "It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully
> > understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be
> > ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is
> > not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."
> >
> > "Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a
> > monkey?"
> >
> > "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of
> > course I do."
> >
> > "Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
> >
> > The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where
> > the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.
> >
> > "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot
> > even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching
> > your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"
> >
> > The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has
> > subsided.
> >
> > "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me
> > give you an example of what I mean."
> >
> > The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever
> > seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.
> >
> > "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the
> > professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to
> > have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable,
> > demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due
> > respect, sir."
> >
> > "So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"
> >
> > Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face
> > unreadable.
> >
> > Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll
> > have to take them on faith."
> >
> > "Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life,"
> > the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"
> >
> > Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it
> > everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the
> > multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations
> > are nothing else but evil."
> >
> > To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not
> > exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like
> > darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of
> > God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man
> > does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes
> > when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
> >
> > The professor sat down.
> > v
> > --
> > David M.
> >
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>
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-- 
clayton256 at gmail.com