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So Carl Sagan thought science is like religion


Carl Sagan must have thought that science is like religion - since Foster's character's experience was something that is subjective like religion.

Weird.

What hump? 

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It wasn't subjective. There was evidence left behind that corroborated her story--18 hours of static.

But mentioning Sagan in the context of the movie is not valid--he wrote the books, not the movie.

Sagan was a real scientist and had an abhorrence of religious-type thinking.

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[deleted]

Nothing like that IMO.

Carl Sagan, one of the most brilliant minds of our time, likely thought science and religion both are in search of the same truths - where did we and this all observable universe come from? what processes created it?

Religion stops asking questions and takes the answer on faith without proof to be an unknown entity claimed as god.

Science continues to ask questions and seeks out answers based on scientific methods with proof and is explainable mathematically and other science tools wise.

So Sagan advocates more that if you think Universe came from a god, then the next ques is where did god come from? Where does that god live etc.

So if you say it is an unanswerable, unknowable question, then why not save a step and say the universe origins are unanswerable, unknowable. Ergo, god isn't required at all. It is merely a placeholder (a blank if you will) for us to search and replace those mentions with actual answers when science discovers the real truth

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Hey FP,

This is one of the best explanations I've ever heard. And I think I've heard quite a few on this issue. Dawkins and Hitchens never said it like this but this is the obvious reality.

What hump? 

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Great explanation.

“I’m more humble than you can understand”-Donnie Dump

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We have some direct quotes from Carl on his views regarding science versus religion. This is one of my favorites:

“In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion.” ~ Carl Sagan

I always saw the "religious" aspect in Contact (in these ending questions) was more about Ellie's inner struggle with her life-long adherence to science, and what became a "crisis of faith" to her. After having demanded nothing but pure facts and evidence from others all her life, she was suddenly faced with an experience that was so deep and real for her, yet she had no evidence to back it up at first.

I really wish the movie had included the Foucault Pendulum scene from the book. The movie is sorely missing this in its character transitions for Ellie, IMHO.

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You're makin'... me... beat... up... GRASS!

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I think people see change in the area that they are. Religion changes far too often, not too little. All of these areas change quite a bit but when you care about something it is never right, it either changes too much or too little but we praise it as the best game in town, because it's the game we are in and we see it through rose colored telescopes.

What hump? 

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“If scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the findings of science and abandon those claims.” -Dalai Lama XIV

It's a shame that Carl was as critical of religion as he was since religion most certainly has changed with the evidence. Slow and clumsy? Sure. But creating polarization between the two areas doesn't benefit anyone.

That's not to say people should be swayed by religion but to reject the religious who have honest questions from a standpoint of trying to understand? There's far too many acidic attitudes towards them and it's not helping anyone.

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Religion changes from one faith based idea to the next.

Is that really change?

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Many religions have modified their doctrine based on scientific evidence. So, yes, it is change.

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My feeling was that Ellie experienced a profound awe during her journey. (Now according to Oprah Winfrey, awe Is something you can only experience with a god.....cos Oprah knows. ;-)

This profound awe confirmed her belief that the Universe was almost beyond understanding scientifically but was worth the effort of continued exploration and research to find some answers. Answers that were almost certainly NOT going to be about any gods. She knows what she experienced but she was probably never made aware of the 18hrs of static that was recorded.

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