http://www.cnn.com/2009/OPINION/11/23/dawkins.darwin.atheism/index.html
On one hand, I don't wish to acknowledge this article, so that it gets more hits and people think it's more "legitimate". However, since the conversation is going to happen whether or not I am apart of it, I feel that it is okay to state my beliefs and opinion on the matter. Plus I have some down time at work.
In the article above, the biologist Richard Dawkins states his case for atheism becoming more "militant" and aggressive in defending their (according to him, correct) views. Among the faulty logic he mentions that: "Religion teaches us to be satisfied with non-explanations".A quick view of the religious past may give some credence to some of what he says. There have been numerous times where religion hasn't had the answers to questions and "answers" that Science proposes, and then Religion uses its political and social power to try and cut science off. However, in the end, that never works, since as a human race we have a pretty natural instinct to try understand the world around us. (Although I have met a lot of deeply religious people who don't try to understand the world around them. Santo misterio and all that jazz. But as humankind, that peace or complacency is not prevalent.)
Unfortunately for Mr. Dawkins, I would imagine that he has never given all the religions a good chance. Just because people have frequently used the name of God for their own selfish purposes is not proof there is no God. Jacob said it well: "O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish" (2 Nephi 9:28).
I'm grateful to be a member of the true church of Jesus Christ - not a church and faith that limits the search for knowledge, but one that embraces it. Check out these treasures from revealed scripture:
"The glory of God is intelligence. Or, in other words, light and truth" D&C 93:36
"Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom" D&C 88:118
"All things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." (Alma 30:44).
Mr. Dawkins says that he sees no room for science in religion. Well, if God were to establish His religion and His church on the earth, he would make that religion with room for man to learn, study, and attempt to discover all of his secrets.
I look forward to the day when our understanding of Science completely matches that which is in the scriptures and which has always been taught to us from the beginning by the prophets. I'm confident that it will happen.
Well I don't mean to ruin my great conclusion there, but here's an article from a New York Times blog about evolution. It was the 150th anniversary of the first publishment of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species". It's great (both in a little kid, cute way and also in a long-term, invigorating way) to see us humans struggle and make attempts at understanding the world around us. We'll figure it out someday...
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/24/an-evolve-by-date/?hp
