Religion was one of humanity's first attempts at explaining the world around us. Due to traditions and our basic humanity, we don't want to completely discard what was taught to us in the past.
Science is the latest and most developed system of explaining the world. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to get on board with this system.
Not sure I completely agree with this. Science is based on theories and hypothesis; if something doesn't hold up to scrutiny it's discarded. Not a lot of scientists hold onto disproven papers and build a following around it.
Perhaps, but sometimes it takes SO long for this to happen that, from the point of view of an individual man living his life, it makes little sense to wait around for the scientific community to "catch up" to what even laymen often know.
Ignaz Semmelweis is a good and tragic example of this.
It takes so long because scientists put their theories through a rigorous process, unlike say, religion, or whatever "laymen knowledge" you're referring to.
Also, it's pretty telling the best example you came up with was back in 1865 and again, while it was slow, this notion that "laymen"would have done more is absurd since semmelweis's work only ever did anything because he became a scientist.
Overall, equating religion, unsubstantiated belief that can't meet any standard of proof. with science which goes out of it's way to make all it finds as reliable as possible is utterly. Finally, unlike different religions, the scientific community consists of different scientists who are independent of each other who can't force each other to do things. The "scientific community" isn't some kind of sect, it's just people across the world who also happen to base their beliefs on evidence rather than their personal whims and upbringing and simultaneously are open minded to what other qualified people say, hence the "community" bit.
Unfortunately that's NOT the only reason, or even necessarily the primary one.
In Semmelweis' case, a lot had to do with the fact that he was relatively shy, was not particularly good at presenting ideas, and had to face a lot of discrimination because of his ethnicity.
There's also the fact that, if the doctors who were delivering babies at the time accepted his ideas, they'd have to face the fact that they unwittingly murdered hundreds of their patients. That's not easy knowledge to deal with.
Perhaps, but it's probably not telling you what you think it's telling you.
Semmelweis happens to relate to my field of study and what I actually do in real life.
Actually, laymen DID do better. Semmelweis began his investigation because he noticed that a hospital staffed by midwives (laypeople) had less than 1/3rd the mortality rate of a hospital staffed by doctors.
Moreover, Semmelweis' failure to understand what we now call "germ theory" means the world had to wait for Pasteur.
But Semmelweis' simple, common sense handwashing practice could have saved many thousands before then.
I suspect we're talking in different languages, which unfortunately look similar but don't have the same meanings ascribed to words. I would not, for instance, consider the teachings of a place like, say, the 7th Day Adventists as "unsubstantiated", which offers evidence that following Biblically inspired diets and practices lead to good Heath and longevity. Note that I am NOT Adventist myself. Even so ...
It makes me more generous with others and with myself. It also keeps we wondering on thing around me, finding reasons and ways to reinvent what I leave and where I stand. Since I see creation as a continuous process I also believe I'm able to recreate myself and what I live.
So pretty much out of convenience.
2) What would it take you to stop believing?
For specific things I think proof will always slightly shift my beliefs, which is good because understanding is to be challenged, belief is to be enriched. For big stuff, ultimately I don't think it matters whether I believe or not, truth will be or it won't, I live for the day as I'd live for eternity.
To say Religion was just meant to be an explanation for human experience is downright false though.
Gender: Male Location: The Proud Nation of Kekistan
Suffering occurs regardless of your moral character, even Jesus suffered, but it's the suffering of a kind that makes you feel twisted and rotten on the inside that is rooted in evil IMO
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Shadilay my brothers and sisters. With any luck we will throw off the shackles of normie oppression. We have nothing to lose but our chains! Praise Kek!
THE MOTTO IS "IN KEK WE TRUST"