Comments on: The End of God?: A Horizon Guide to Science and Religion http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/ The official Derren Brown Blog Mon, 07 May 2012 09:24:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: spiderabc1 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-71647 spiderabc1 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 13:13:06 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-71647 @Julie and @Nick - A doctor (not the one that saved me) said I died between 3 and 5 times. I had (and have) memories yet I only (remember) the light once. Because I have memories I must have come round. Trip indeed, it felt great. More scientific research should be done in this area. I am still an atheist. Can anyone explain the light to me? (Unless I was thinking of Blake, but then not everyone would!) @Julie and @Nick – A doctor (not the one that saved me) said I died between 3 and 5 times. I had (and have) memories yet I only (remember) the light once. Because I have memories I must have come round. Trip indeed, it felt great. More scientific research should be done in this area. I am still an atheist. Can anyone explain the light to me? (Unless I was thinking of Blake, but then not everyone would!)

]]> By: Aran http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-67410 Aran Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:46:52 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-67410 I'm always amused to see how people bash the scientific method on the internet. Alan - you're using a computer to attack "blind faith" in science. Doesn't that strike you as a bit odd? The fact that I am alive today is because of science. The fact that we have computers and the internet is because of science. Every day, every moment of every day, you and I rely on science and its principals to live. The bricks that make our homes, the electricity that powers our lights and our TVs, the gas that cooks our food. Our ability to create and use all these things is entirely and completely underpinned by the scientific method. I would argue that there is virtually nothing of physical and practical value in our lives that does not rely on science. How can you compare that to religion? I’m always amused to see how people bash the scientific method on the internet.

Alan – you’re using a computer to attack “blind faith” in science. Doesn’t that strike you as a bit odd? The fact that I am alive today is because of science. The fact that we have computers and the internet is because of science. Every day, every moment of every day, you and I rely on science and its principals to live. The bricks that make our homes, the electricity that powers our lights and our TVs, the gas that cooks our food. Our ability to create and use all these things is entirely and completely underpinned by the scientific method.

I would argue that there is virtually nothing of physical and practical value in our lives that does not rely on science. How can you compare that to religion?

]]> By: 1984 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66533 1984 Tue, 28 Sep 2010 11:04:43 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66533 Julie... anecdotes do not count as scientific evidence. if they did then all sorts of things would be "scientifically proven". Read up on fallacies here: http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/sherm3.htm Julie… anecdotes do not count as scientific evidence. if they did then all sorts of things would be “scientifically proven”.

Read up on fallacies here:

http://www.positiveatheism.org/writ/sherm3.htm

]]> By: Berber Anna http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66516 Berber Anna Tue, 28 Sep 2010 08:07:45 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66516 Leanne, science can never be a religion, as religion implies unquestioning faith. Science -- i.e. the scientific method -- implies the questioning of one's beliefs and results. Falsifying, not verifying. Alan: First off, Derren didn't post this, Phillis did (and he posted about a film that someone else made). Science does not imply blind faith that experiments have been conducted properly. Results need to be reproducible by other researchers in order to be acceptable. The human mind is far from infallible, but reproducing experiments and obtaining similar results does heighten the odds of the results being objectively correct. Also, are you really implying that atheists believe in the non-existence of a god? If that's the case, I also believe in the non-existence of the tooth fairy... Leanne, science can never be a religion, as religion implies unquestioning faith. Science — i.e. the scientific method — implies the questioning of one’s beliefs and results. Falsifying, not verifying.

Alan: First off, Derren didn’t post this, Phillis did (and he posted about a film that someone else made). Science does not imply blind faith that experiments have been conducted properly. Results need to be reproducible by other researchers in order to be acceptable. The human mind is far from infallible, but reproducing experiments and obtaining similar results does heighten the odds of the results being objectively correct.
Also, are you really implying that atheists believe in the non-existence of a god? If that’s the case, I also believe in the non-existence of the tooth fairy…

]]> By: jibjib http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66501 jibjib Mon, 27 Sep 2010 23:26:35 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66501 God does exist, its the force of Gravity. Thats how universes get created. Not sure about the afterlife or the loving bit. God does exist, its the force of Gravity. Thats how universes get created. Not sure about the afterlife or the loving bit.

]]> By: 1984 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66497 1984 Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:49:45 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66497 You will find men like him in all of the world's religions. They know that we represent reason and science, and, however confident they may be in their beliefs, they fear that we will overthrow their gods. Not necessarily through any deliberate act, but in a subtler fashion. Science can destroy a religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware, the nonexistance of Zeus or Thor, but they have few followers now. --Arthur C. Clarke (Childhood's End) You will find men like him in all of the world’s religions. They know that we represent reason and science, and, however confident they may be in their beliefs, they fear that we will overthrow their gods. Not necessarily through any deliberate act, but in a subtler fashion. Science can destroy a religion by ignoring it as well as by disproving its tenets. No one ever demonstrated, so far as I am aware, the nonexistance of Zeus or Thor, but they have few followers now.
–Arthur C. Clarke (Childhood’s End)

]]> By: harry http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66496 harry Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:16:23 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66496 GOD WONT EVER DIE! GOD WONT EVER DIE!

]]> By: Andrew Cort http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66495 Andrew Cort Mon, 27 Sep 2010 17:05:50 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66495 It is nonsensical to keep comparing science and religion as if they were adversaries competing for answers to the same questions. The purpose of science is to unravel mysteries of the material world. The purpose of religion is to help people evolve their inner souls and find meaning in their lives. Science does not disprove the meaning of life. Religion does not disprove biological evolution. It's not a choice! The endless arguing is just wheel-spinning. It is nonsensical to keep comparing science and religion as if they were adversaries competing for answers to the same questions. The purpose of science is to unravel mysteries of the material world. The purpose of religion is to help people evolve their inner souls and find meaning in their lives. Science does not disprove the meaning of life. Religion does not disprove biological evolution. It’s not a choice! The endless arguing is just wheel-spinning.

]]> By: Nick http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66494 Nick Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:53:34 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66494 @Julie 100% scientific proof that there isnt a Creator Noone has ever collected every finger print off every human, let alone placed them in a database and compared them so there is no truth in the statement that they are unique. My DNA is unique to me as a whole, but within it will be segments of DNA that I share with my mother / father / grandparents etc . Then going back further I will share certain seqments with chimps etc all the way back through to single cellular life forms Twenty years ago I dropped some acid I saw many things and felt many more Like others before me I cannot put these things into words No more than I can put my dreams into words The reason is when we dream we produce DMT Which also happens as were dying This is what a near death experience is U just Tripped :D @Julie

100% scientific proof that there isnt a Creator

Noone has ever collected every finger print off every human, let alone placed them in a database and
compared them so there is no truth in the statement that they are unique.

My DNA is unique to me as a whole, but within it will be segments of DNA that I share with my mother / father / grandparents etc . Then going back further I will share certain seqments with chimps etc all the way back through to single cellular life forms

Twenty years ago I dropped some acid
I saw many things and felt many more
Like others before me I cannot put these things into words
No more than I can put my dreams into words
The reason is when we dream we produce DMT
Which also happens as were dying
This is what a near death experience is
U just Tripped :D

]]> By: Rich Beer http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/2010/09/god-horizon-guide-science-religion/#comment-66493 Rich Beer Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:22:30 +0000 http://derrenbrown.co.uk/blog/?p=14181#comment-66493 What the programme really came down to was this: Science can never replace religion because the answer to "What is the meaning of life?" is going to turn out to be "There isn't one." and most people won't accept that. The human brain has evolved to believe there is meaning to life because it confers (or has done up til now, along with its close cousins 'tribal instinct' and 'not worrying about the things you can't control') a distinct survival advantage. Much of humanity will need God for as long as our brains remain this way. What the programme really came down to was this:

Science can never replace religion because the answer to “What is the meaning of life?” is going to turn out to be “There isn’t one.” and most people won’t accept that.

The human brain has evolved to believe there is meaning to life because it confers (or has done up til now, along with its close cousins ‘tribal instinct’ and ‘not worrying about the things you can’t control’) a distinct survival advantage. Much of humanity will need God for as long as our brains remain this way.

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