Don't dictate beliefs

[derek4]

"False Positives: Fraud and Misconduct are Threatening Scientific Research"

The Guardian article.


…Cases of scientific misconduct tend to hit the headlines precisely because scientists are supposed to occupy a moral high ground when it comes to the search for truth about nature. The scientific method developed as a way to weed out human bias. But scientists, like anyone else, can be prone to bias in their bid for a place in the history books.

Increasing competition for shrinking government budgets for research and the disproportionately large rewards for publishing in the best journals have exacerbated the temptation to fudge results or ignore inconvenient data.

Massaged results can send other researchers down the wrong track, wasting time and money trying to replicate them. Worse, in medicine, it can delay the development of life-saving treatments or prolong the use of therapies that are ineffective or dangerous. Malpractice comes to light rarely, perhaps because scientific fraud is often easy to perpetrate but hard to uncover.
http://aspiringdoctors.tumblr.com/post/315917...

[derek4]

Atheists have faith in the fraudulent scientific evidence that has failed us.

[derek4]

[Science]:
" ... riddled with false findings and erroneous conclusions... "

From Reuters:

More trial, less error - An effort to improve scientific studies

So many scientific studies are making incorrect claims that a new service has sprung up to fact-check reported findings by repeating the experiments.

A year-old Palo Alto, California, company, Science Exchange, announced on Tuesday its "Reproducibility Initiative," aimed at improving the trustworthiness of published papers. Scientists who want to validate their findings will be able to apply to the initiative, which will choose a lab to redo the study and determine whether the results match.

The project sprang from the growing realization that the scientific literature - from social psychology to basic cancer biology - is riddled with false findings and erroneous conclusions, raising questions about whether such studies can be trusted. Not only are erroneous studies a waste of money, often taxpayers', but they also can cause companies to misspend time and resources as they try to invent drugs based on false discoveries.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/14/us-...

[derek4]

“I am quite conscious that my speculations run quite beyond the bounds of true science.” Charles Darwin, 1857
http://www.darwinthenandnow.com/darwin-quotat...

Quote was also found within the text at this link:
http://www.darwinproject.ac.uk/entry-2109

[Just Think]

derek4 wrote:

Atheists have great faith in the science that has failed us.

Actually, atheists don't believe in a god.

As for scientific accuracy, I'm sure there are as many different viewpoints as there are atheists.

[Langoliers]

Khatru wrote:

<quoted text>No matter how many things science is yet incapable of explaining, filling in the gaps with imaginary myths and supernatural fables which challenge the very laws of nature as we know them is the definition of lunacy, wouldn't you agree?

Nope doesn't look correct at all.

Lunacy: intermittent insanity once believed to be related to phases of the moon

Religion: the state of a religious <a nun in her 20th year of religion> b (1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural (2): commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance

[Langoliers]

Khatru wrote:

Fairs fair, I'll give this particular Christian his due...

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

That your definition of entertainment?

What a complete nut job.

[Langoliers]

derek4 wrote:

<quoted text>Wrong. I don't agree to your paraphrasing of anything I write,.

I decide what words I use.

For you to change what I write is dishonesty.

To repeat:

I have no interest in the fraud of evolution, nor your support of fraudulent scientists.

He is fulfilling yet another prophecy!

Then, Jesus warns believing Christians will be hated by the world ...

"If the world hates you,
you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
(John 15:18-19)

[derek4]

Langoliers wrote:

<quoted text>
He is fulfilling yet another prophecy!
Then, Jesus warns believing Christians will be hated by the world ...
"If the world hates you,
you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you."
(John 15:18-19)

Right. I welcome the hatred of atheists.

[derek4]

Just Think wrote:

<quoted text>
Actually, atheists don't believe in a god.
As for scientific accuracy, I'm sure there are as many different viewpoints as there are atheists.

We applaud you for your valuable contribution to the forum, and your enlightening observation informing us that “atheists don't believe in a god.” We had never heard that before.

[Hedonist]

As Protestants decline, those with no religion gain --

For decades, if not centuries, America's top religious brand has been "Protestant." No more.

In the 1960s, two in three Americans called themselves Protestant. Now the Protestant group -- both evangelical and mainline -- has slid below the statistical waters, down to 48%, from 53% in 2007

Where did they go? Nowhere, actually. They didn't switch to a new religious brand, they just let go of any faith affiliation or label.

" http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1618445... ;

OR

" http://www.topix.com/religion/atheism/2012/10... ;

[derek4]

This is a re-post from some days ago that bears repeating:

From WebMD:

Spirituality May Help People Live Longer
Discover why some believe that older people who regularly attend religious services appear to have better health.

Why do older people who regularly attend religious services appear to live longer and have better health? Is it something about the type of people they are? Or is it something related to their visits to churches or synagogues -- perhaps increased contact with other people?

A growing body of research is beginning to define the complex connections between religious and spiritual beliefs and practices and an individual's physical and psychological health. No one says it's as simple as going to services or "finding religion" later in life. It may be that people who are more involved in religious activities or are personally more spiritual are doing something that makes them feel better emotionally and helps them live longer and more healthily. The question, researchers say, is what exactly are they doing?

... continued:

Go to Church, Live Longer

Among the most recent findings in this area: People who attend religious services at least once a week are less likely to die in a given period of time than people who attend services less often.

continued:

http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/spiritu...

[derek4]

Another re-post:

From: The University of California

Churchgoers may have an extra reason besides Easter to don their Sunday best. A new study by researchers in California provides more evidence that regular church attendance is linked to a longer, healthier life.

In the study, researchers from the Human Population Laboratories of the Public Health Institute and the California Department of Health Services, and from the University of California, Berkeley, found that people who attended religious services once a week had significantly lower risks of death compared with those who attended less frequently or never, even after adjusting for age, health behaviors and other risk factors. The study will be published April 4 in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine.

"We found this difference even after adjusting for factors such as social connections and health behaviors, including smoking and exercising," said Doug Oman, lead author of the study and a lecturer at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health. "The fact that the risk of death by several different causes is lower for those who attend religious services every week suggests that we should look to some psychological factor for answers. Maybe frequent attendees experience a greater sense of inner peace, perhaps because they can draw upon religious coping practices to help them deal with stressful events."

continued:
http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/ar...

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute of Aging, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the California Department of Health Services.

[derek4]

Hedonist wrote:

As Protestants decline, those with no religion gain --
For decades, if not centuries, America's top religious brand has been "Protestant." No more.
In the 1960s, two in three Americans called themselves Protestant. Now the Protestant group -- both evangelical and mainline -- has slid below the statistical waters, down to 48%, from 53% in 2007
Where did they go? Nowhere, actually. They didn't switch to a new religious brand, they just let go of any faith affiliation or label.
" http://m.usatoday.com/article/news/1618445... ;
OR
" http://www.topix.com/religion/atheism/2012/10... ;

Thanks for this input, Hedonist. It's good to know you're still visiting the forum.

You know, I'm glad I still hold to my faith.

It was interesting in 2001, how many folks who had sort of "let go" of their faith suddenly called on God after the twin towers fell. That was 11 years ago - and in the years that followed, they have gotten complacent again, letting go of their faith.

Unfortunately, there are many examples in the Bible where God's people did the same thing. They would be devout to God when they needed him, then when things went well, they got away from God. They went back and forth all the time. This isn't surprising to believers, but we're glad you have also noticed those trends.

[Hedonist]

Faith may not move mountains, but we have all seen what it can do to skyscrapers.

[derek4]

This opinion from an atheist is a re-post from awhile back which bears repeating.

From: The Washington Post

An Atheist Defends the Value of Religion

By Bruce Sheiman
author

As an atheist, I approach religion much like an economist. I believe religion persists in our market-based culture, despite the prevalence of secularism, because it provides net value over and above its required investment, and because it beats competing belief systems in the same value proposition. I evaluate religion in terms of its pragmatic usefulness to humankind and seek to answer the question posed by William James: "Grant an idea or belief to be true, what concrete difference will its being true make in anyone's actual life?"
Atheism is a bankrupt ideology on empirical grounds: Its benefits simply do not come close to covering its opportunity costs. Religion, by contrast, offers the vast majority of people a high-value transaction: Its enduring benefits far outweigh its costs. Religion persists, in short, for the reason that it provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Thus, by book "An Atheist Defends Religion" is not mainly a critical examination of the New Atheism. Rather, I am making a broad statement about the affirmative role of religion in the contemporary world and what is lost in a purely secular conception of the world.

... continued:

Faith is one of the most powerful forces in human development and a strong impetus to personal transformation and collective progress. Religion's misdeeds may make for provocative headlines, but the everyday good works of billions of pious people is the real history of religion, one that parallels the growth and prosperity of humankind. There are countless examples of individuals lifting themselves out of personal misery through faith. In the lives of these people, God is not a delusion, God is not a spell that must be broken - God is indeed great.

The debate about the existence of God is never ending. What is not in dispute is that God exists in people's hearts, minds and spirits. What is not in dispute is that religion is adaptive, constructive and healthful - and thereby makes a positive difference in people's lives. Reflecting James' pragmatic conception of belief: When we act as if religion is true, we act with greater optimism, hope and benevolence.

... continued:

Bruce Sheiman is the author of the new book "An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity is Better Off With Religion than Without It."
http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/gue...

This portion was espcially inspiring:

"What is not in dispute is that God exists in people's hearts, minds and spirits. What is not in dispute is that religion is adaptive, constructive and healthful - and thereby makes a positive difference in people's lives."

[derek4]

Hedonist wrote:

Faith may not move mountains, but we have all seen what it can do to skyscrapers.

yawn (unimpressed)

Not very original. To avoid plagiarism, give credit to the author when you post.

“I'm not convinced that faith can move mountains, but I've seen what it can do to skyscrapers.”
William H. Gascoyne

http://stupidevilbastard.com/2009/09/ive_neve...

here's another:
http://godsnotwheregodsnot.blogspot.com/2007/...

And thank you, Hedonist, for demonstrating your sad irreverent disrespect to all the Americans who died at the hands of godless terrorists. You're a real patriot.

[Just Think]

derek4 wrote:

<quoted text>
We applaud you for your valuable contribution to the forum, and your enlightening observation informing us that “atheists don't believe in a god.” We had never heard that before.

And yet you obviously don't understand it. How sad for you.

[Khatru]

derek4 wrote:

<quoted text>
Wrong. I don't agree to your paraphrasing of anything I write,.
I decide what words I use.
For you to change what I write is dishonesty.
To repeat:
I have no interest in the fraud of evolution, nor your support of fraudulent scientists.

Saying evolution is a fraud is the best you people can do.

Unfortunately for you, there is no scientific evidence you have for your abracadbra alternative. Contrast that with the wealth of evidence that exists for evolution.

This leaves you in the sad and unenviable position of trying to cheapen science by attempting to get it down to the gutter-level of your religion.

[Khatru]

derek4 wrote:

<quoted text>
Don't study your Bible, then, if you see no point. Why should I care what you do? The message is clear. The problem is with your comprehension.

Nope

The problem is that the god of the Bible is a terrible communicator.

The CEO of any company needs to communicate effectively with his people. If a company is in a mess and people aren't getting the message then the buck stops with the CEO.

Why should an omniscient god be wholly exonerated of blame when he fails to ensure that his message is clearly understood? You've only got to look at the numerous different bibles that are out there to see that whatever the god of the Christians thinks, he doesn't seem too perturbed about the confused message he's sending out. Factor that in with thousands of different Christian denominations, sects and cults, all sure that their particular interpretation of whatever bible they choose to read is the true belief and you have a recipe for confusion.