# What if we did something different on Sunday morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 4, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490 "2014-02-04T14:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/241 "2014-02-10T19:53:19Z")
Yes, but too often the solution to all of today’s problems is a 2000 year document. WWJD about stem cell research? WWJD about cures for cancer? WWJD about SSM and legalizing pot? WWJD about developing alternative energy? WWJD about rates of unemployment? WWJD about the debt ceiling? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/242 "2014-02-10T20:08:19Z")
What would my accountant or janitor do about curing cancer? Jack shit, just like Jesus, even if they studied cancer treatment on Sundays. Churches are a place where these concepts are explored for a lot of people though. And that 2000 year old document is constantly re-interpreted by modern humans. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/243 "2014-02-10T20:21:09Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > What would my accountant or janitor do about curing cancer? Jack shit, just like Jesus, even if they studied cancer treatment on Sundays. Churches are a place where these concepts are explored for a lot of people though. And that 2000 year old document is constantly re-interpreted by modern humans. I’m sorry, but “Let’s all pray for Mary Dunphy because she has cancer” doesn’t involve a lot of exploration. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/244 "2014-02-10T20:32:46Z")
Different groups of church goers have different views on different parts of medical research. Those views change with time - and discussion. I still haven’t seen any real argument from you that studying Science on Sundays (I am trademarking that btw, just in case 😛 ) would lead to much benefit. We have grown into a society of fairly strict specialization and I honestly don’t see why the average person needs to be more informed about cancer research. Do you think with a little learning they would all come around to the your , oh I mean “correct”, way of thinking? If only they studied a little then all these annoying moral/religious objections would dissipate? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/245 "2014-02-10T20:34:55Z")
Are you suggesting we sequester scientific knowledge to people smart enough to be able to put it to good use? ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/246 "2014-02-10T20:39:24Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You were answered. If it wasn’t the answer you wanted, then tough shit, because I’m moving on to converse with others about the subject of this thread. Thanks. I guess you’ll be ending the “hijack” now. [QUOTE] > [@QuickSilver](#): > > Do you need to be in a wifi hotspot for that kind of connection? NFC and 4G, with some bluetooth here and there, actually. > [@](#): > > Your actual question is stupid. It makes no sense. It’s been pointed out to you by multiple posters in multiple ways. Continuing to ask the same question shows a lack of understand, or a willful unwillingness to do so. Regardless, you’re not making the point you think you’re making. At all. The thing is that, until this last page possibly, nobody said “it’s a stupid question, I won’t answer it”. They tried to answer in a way I considered dodged the question. I felt I asked “do you like apples?” and got as an answer “many people like apples and I am a person”. If you feel/think my question is stupid I’d recommend simply not answering it; your opinion as to its stupidity is duly noted. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/247 "2014-02-10T20:40:16Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Are you suggesting we sequester scientific knowledge to people smart enough to be able to put it to good use? Are you suggesting we haven’t already? By popular demand? But no, of course not. Everyone is free to learn what they want. I am suggesting that some popular shift from church going to Sunday Science Day isn’t going to make some massive shift to the good. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/248 "2014-02-10T20:50:20Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Different groups of church goers have different views on different parts of medical research. Those views change with time - and discussion. What drives that change? The same 2000 year old text rehashed, or modern scientific research often conducted in contradiction to the church’s teachings? > [@CarnalK](#): > > I still haven’t seen any real argument from you that studying Science on Sundays (I am trademarking that btw, just in case 😛 ) would lead to much benefit. We have grown into a society of fairly strict specialization and I honestly don’t see why the average person needs to be more informed about cancer research. Do you think with a little learning they would all come around to the your , oh I mean “correct”, way of thinking? If only they studied a little then all these annoying moral/religious objections would dissipate? The other day my son, who is 14, asked me a similar question about his biology homework and why he needed to understand the basics of hydrogen bonding between various nucleotides. He claims he has no interest in becoming a biologist. But once we sat together and figured out his homework assignment, he suddenly developed a new interest and appreciation for how DNA works. He will probably never become a biologist, but he certainly has a new appreciation for something you claim serves no purpose to the average person. He also doesn’t know anything about writing code, but he’s starting to learn HTML and I see a deep interest developing where none existed before. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/249 "2014-02-10T21:07:50Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > The thing is that, until this last page possibly, nobody said “it’s a stupid question, I won’t answer it”. They tried to answer in a way I considered dodged the question. > I felt I asked “do you like apples?” and got as an answer “many people like apples and I am a person”. No, what you claimed is equivalent to: If person A is suddenly blinded, all light in the known universe ceases to exist. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/250 "2014-02-10T21:29:22Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > What drives that change? The same 2000 year old text rehashed, or modern scientific research often conducted in contradiction to the church’s teachings? What’s that got to do with it? Yes, many changes in church stances have been driven by scientific advance, and social science advances, if I may separate the two. Many of those advances being made by church goers. It does not follow that everyone would be better off if they skipped church for biology lessons. > [@](#): > > The other day my son, who is 14, asked me a similar question about his biology homework and why he needed to understand the basics of hydrogen bonding between various nucleotides. He claims he has no interest in becoming a biologist. But once we sat together and figured out his homework assignment, he suddenly developed a new interest and appreciation for how DNA works. He will probably never become a biologist, but he certainly has a new appreciation for something you claim serves no purpose to the average person. He also doesn’t know anything about writing code, but he’s starting to learn HTML and I see a deep interest developing where none existed before. Yes, learning is fun. Would you forbid your son from having fun at a church gathering when he could be learning about DNA function? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/251 "2014-02-10T21:36:26Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > What’s that got to do with it? Yes, many changes in church stances have been driven by scientific advance, and social science advances, if I may separate the two. Many of those advances being made by church goers. It does not follow that everyone would be better off if they skipped church for biology lessons. I think the point is that this 2000 year old document, filled with stories that date back much further) doesn’t add much to the advances being driven and, in some case, may even be an obstacle to be overcome. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/252 "2014-02-10T21:38:20Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Yes, learning is fun. Would you forbid your son from having fun at a church gathering when he could be learning about DNA function? Going to church just for the fun parts? Why didn’t propose this before? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/253 "2014-02-10T21:38:21Z")
I wanted to add: We have schools and a pretty high admiration of learning. The question before us is whether we would be better off if extra weekly science schooling replaced Sunday church. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Going to church just for the fun parts? Why didn’t propose this before? Would you cut out the fun parts of college? How would that go over, I wonder. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think the point is that this 2000 year old document, filled with stories that date back much further) doesn’t add much to the advances being driven and, in some case, may even be an obstacle to be overcome. And in some ways, these stories remind us that humans haven’t changed all that much, even if we can now split the atom. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/254 "2014-02-10T21:38:25Z")
Does that mean one shouldn’t spend days studying ANY ancient documents, books, tales, etc? The works of Shakespeare are never going to be updated or advanced, but I don’t think that means there’s no advantage to studying them. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/255 "2014-02-10T21:42:57Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Does that mean one shouldn’t spend days studying ANY ancient documents, books, tales, etc? The works of Shakespeare are never going to be updated or advanced, but I don’t think that means there’s no advantage to studying them. Do people worship Shakespeare and think his works are Holy? Do they use it to guide their lives? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/256 "2014-02-10T21:43:20Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Does that mean one shouldn’t spend days studying ANY ancient documents, books, tales, etc? The works of Shakespeare are never going to be updated or advanced, but I don’t think that means there’s no advantage to studying them. Shakespeare is comprehensively understood to be literary fiction. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/257 "2014-02-10T21:46:31Z")
Of course not. I’m talking about the whole, “well, the Bible’s old, so why do we keep studying it!” The same reasons we keep studying old documents and literature and philosophy. And I do believe that there are denominations who DO have Bible Studies that are philosophical in nature. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/258 "2014-02-10T21:47:16Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Yes, learning is fun. Would you forbid your son from having fun at a church gathering when he could be learning about DNA function? Nope. I do not instill the fear of god in my kids. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/259 "2014-02-10T21:53:53Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Of course not. I’m talking about the whole, “well, the Bible’s old, so why do we keep studying it!” The same reasons we keep studying old documents and literature and philosophy. > > And I do believe that there are denominations who DO have Bible Studies that are philosophical in nature. Is _some_ churches that may go on, but in _no_ way is that the whole of the story, is it? In-church Bible study cannot be compared to the study of Shakespeare, in any way, manner or form. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490/260 "2014-02-10T21:55:26Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > Nope. I do not instill the fear of god in my kids. That’s a little confusing as an answer to my question. “Nope” as in you wouldn’t let your son have fun at a church function or “Nope” you wouldn’t forbid him? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-we-did-something-different-on-sunday-morning/680490.md?page=14)