I wonder how things would change if everybody who attends church and tithes, instead took a couple hours on the weekend to learn about science. Maybe some lessons in logic and debunking medical woo.
While we’re at it, instaed of throwing 10% of your money away on a church, what if everybody contributed an extra 10% of their income after taxes to scientific research of interest or benefit to them?
Why “instead of”? Why not both?
Besides, the best lessons in science can’t be scheduled. They’re the ones that come up spontaneously.
Similarly, I wonder how the world would be different if people who now spend 10% of their money on churches instead spent it on hookers and blow.
Time I’ve spent attending church has been immensely beneficial to me. Time I’ve spent taking college courses on logic or reading books about logic has mostly been a waste of time. (I’d make an exception for Godel, Escher, Bach, if we’re willing to consider that a book about logic. That book was entertaining.)
I do not consider money that I give to church to be “thrown away”. I consider it to be the best se of money I make, as most of it goes to providing food, medicine, education and so forth to those in need.
Where I come from, that money is called ‘taxes’.
I seem to recall a Twilight Zone episode where a guy got his wish granted for everyone else to be just like him. He quickly flipped out from boredom.
I love my Sunday mornings. Hot tub with wife, sex, breakfast, and CBS news. I wouldn’t change a thing. I really don’t know anyone who attends church, even on the big holy days.
You know, I’d settle for both.
The reason I said “instead” is that I don’t think I’ve heard anything new in Christianity in 20 years. It’s frankly boring. Neat new scienc-y type stuff is happening all the time. Now I don’t consider myself as one who is on top of every development in science, physics, astronomy, medicine…but damn, the average person is completely illiterate when it comes to these things.
One problem with that is that it makes it hard for them to recognize woo.
:rolleyes: I think you posted in the wrong thread, this is a complete non sequitur
I gotta visit the Pacific NW more often.
You’ve heard of Sunday Assembly, perhaps? That’s the basic gist of it. People getting together on Sunday mornings to talk about things like science, solving society’s problems, and trying to be good people. With optional musical accompaniment.
When my kids were young, Sundays were spent at the Carnegie Museum, Science Center, Warhol Museum, Frick Nature Center, etc. I’m happy with how they turned out.
Lucky you. Where I come from, the largest items in the government budget are the military, pensions, Social Security, Medicare, and interest on the national debt. Most of my tax money goes there.
But even imagining there was a dramatic shift and our politicians chose to refocus their money on food for the poor and other good causes, it would still be a good thing that I donate to church and give further support to the poor, wouldn’t it?
What if you did something different on Sunday mornings and started minding your own business? What the hell difference does it make to you that some people choose to spend an hour at church?
You know, the thing I hate about most of the atheists on this board is their smug attitudes that everyone involved in religion is a backwards, ignorant creationist who breeds indiscriminately and somehow religious peoples’ IQ would be raised 30 points if they just stopped attending church.
I don’t try to convert you. I couldn’t care less about what you do on Sunday. Stop trying to convert me.
StG
Most of the atheists on this board aren’t trying to convert you. You have no idea that they’re atheists since they don’t bring it up very often.
If only your cohorts would join you in this. 
Regardless whether churches exist, I would be delighted if enough population was interested in this idea to make it work. The only downside I experience by not going to church is missing out on the networking and community relationships I could have. But if a community institution promoting science existed with weekly Sunday meetings, regular events, potlucks, sunday school and the whole nine yards I would gladly check it out with my wife and kids.
Yep, and it’s one of those things I would like to try, sometime.
The things is, that description is spot-on for so many people. If you’re a UU type who can manage to not be backwards and ignorant, then great. Unfortunately so many religious people do hold scientifically illiterate views and influence public policy accordingly by their vote. In my observation, there’s an inverse correlation between intellectual curiosity and religious dedication. No, I don’t have a cite.
In short, while I will not tell you personally to quit doing to church and read an astronomy blog, I think it would be a good thing overall.
I don’t think religious people are “backwards, ignorant creationist who breeds indiscriminately and somehow religious peoples’ IQ would be raised 30 points if they just stopped attending church.”
I think religious people are delusional, and there are many reasons for it.
Right, since this pretty much seems to be developing into a religion debate, I’m going to move it over to GD.
Since I typically share a pew with 2-3 scientists from the local university, I tend to get a bit of both on Sunday mornings during the fellowship time over coffee. We also then hold a forum after that with guest speakers on a variety of topics, including scientific research.
My tithing goes towards the homeless, some work we do on the Navajo reservation and in Nicaragua.
As for anything new, I get something new every Sunday. Then again, our church hires Ministers who stay up on the latest Biblical research and makes it part of almost every sermon. Makes it interesting (and hard to keep from pulling out my phone and looking something up - instead i scratch out notes to myself in the margins of the bulletin and my wife and I go hunting for information when we get home).
I’ve never seen any data on intellectual curiosity, but there’s a positive correlation between religiosity and education.