Intro

Tired of feeling so old you think you've heard it all before? Tired of being told what to think, how to behave, what to believe? Worried about the signal-to-noise ratio affecting all your remaining functional senses? Tired of the mitigation of that all-important Signal by suffocating noise; the constant battering of your well-developed mind by media rubbish; by the constant yammering of self-interest groups; by the earnest indoctrinations of the social engineers? Wonder if the "ultimate truth" you've been fed all this time is a crock of excrement? Yup! you are like the rest of us! Unfortunately, there are no answers here . . . Just a frustrated existential rant. Beware! These are subjects forbidden in a pub, a church, a dinner party, or after-sex conversation.

Sunday 11 October 2015

Chapter 4: Science

If the Enemy used to be "Evil" or "Shaitan" or "The Horned Beast" for all those early primitive religions, then today the enemy of today's organised religions is the emergence of rational observation. 

The persistent examination of physical sciences led to the creation of many unassailable things. For example: impressive and fairly permanent free-standing ancient buildings that still can be seen today; astronomical observations that enhanced the trade empires; massive reductions in global death from disease; lighter, stronger shields and swords for the empire builders; and gunpowder of course for the "quick fix". In fact, the examples are endless.

It is therefore unforgivable that today's unwashed masses accept the benefits of generations of scientific endeavour without a single, cohesive, rational, questioning thought to the principles behind them. Watch TV? Got a pc or an iPad? Then you'll understand electromagnetism or quantum mechanics! Go to Church on Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays, etc.? Then you'll know where today's version of your ancient calendar came from! Einstein? Few understand the concepts even after 100 years. Heisenberg? Never heard of him. There are still people that would rather believe that the moon landing is a long-standing hoax!

In the 20th there was a nasty fight to ban "evolution" from being taught at schools in the Bible-Belt States in America. In Cambodia, a regime tried to murder the past by declaring a "Year Zero". Today, Islamic State will physically destroy any evidence of science, including the practitioners. In some places in the world taking a picture with your camera is a punishable offence despite the fact that satellites can see you in all your glorious detail. Galileo was imprisoned by his Church. Health workers are shot. Just last month it was reported that women were being burned for "sorcery".

In England, no matter whether your children are Arts or Science-minded, the teaching of "religious education" is mandatory. If good 'ol gentle C of E can do it, why not some of the more aggressive Religions? Therein lies the danger of State-run schools when the State is a run by the Church. Far better in a secular environment that RE be taught as a subset of other scientific principles (such as sociology or anthropology).

In fact, this is the crux of the problem. If a future-civilisation is to grow and progress then the next generation need a fair chance at choosing their belief systems. The world is dividing; not into the haves against the have-nots, precisely, but into the scientifically educated communities against the impoverished wells of religious ignorance. 

And in a world where literally anyone can get guns the future is fairly easy to predict.



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