Holy Manners Book Studies The God Delusion Richard Dawkins

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Holy Manners Book Studies The God Delusion -
Richard Dawkins

• Session 6
• The Continuing Place in Modern Society of
  Supernaturalist Religion.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Modern Science began with Newton
• Science and Religion are brother and sister
• Both stand in awe and wonder at existence.
• Both expect that the chaos we observe about us
  can be brought to order by our intentions.
• Religion by inspiration, faith and prayer.
• Science by methodology, challenge and technology.
• Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge
  of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the
  laughter of the gods. Einstein

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Science and Religion

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Religion considers that it does not create but
  has had revealed to it the principles of life.
• Religion has considered itself above politics.
• Religion is reforming a new ethic is evolving.
• Science considers that it does not create but has
  discovered the principles of nature.
• Science considers itself outside of politics.
• Science is reforming a new ethic is evolving.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Science searches for new knowledge.
• Religion treasures old traditions.
• Science is largely open to all ideas.
• Religion is largely closed to new ideas.
• Science is recent and modern.
• Religion is old and often still tribal.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Stages of Knowing

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On the Shoulders of Giants
Rumis Elephant. The truth will appear to us like
a strange elephant appearing in a dark room as we
each hold our candles and see together what we
did not see alone.
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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Learning From Parents, Teachers, Mentors
• We learn because we must.
• We learn what was learned before.
• Curiosity Dissonance Discovery
• We learn next because we notice the need.
• We learn by asking.
• We learn by discovery.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• The Hiebert Helix
• A continuous cycle of learning ascending to
  higher levels from fundamental layers.
• Higher levels of understanding depend upon
  earlier knowledge.
• Levels appear sufficient.
• We tend to discount earlier levels of
  understanding.

Tielhard de Chardins Spiral
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On the Shoulders of Giants

• The Layer Cake
• Each layer is built upon those before.
• Our understanding changes.
• We share the paths of learning and experience.
• When we blow out the candles we should remember
  the years that have gone before.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Religion and the Supernatural
• Joseph Campbell informs us that mythology is
  similar in all society and over all time.
• The inner world and the outer world meet in myth.
• The traditions of religion are thoroughly
  imbedded with stories and images of the
  Supernatural.
• The Supernatural is for some literal, and for
  others a metaphor.
• The lessons come out pretty much the same.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Science and Spirituality
• The atheist authors of the current study
  recognize and appreciate the marvel and numinous
  experiences in life.
• The modern person in rejecting the superstition
  and the exclusive aspects of religion says Im
  spiritual but not religious.
• But religion is spirituality in community.
• Progressive Religious Voices acknowledge these
  errors and find new theological language.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• There are authentic religious domains that will
  survive the present assault of atheism.
• They are those that bring love and avoid hurt..
• They are those that create new community.
• They are those that celebrate the holy moments -
  life and growing and changing and death.
• And whether our metaphysics includes the
  Supernatural or not, our ethics, our behaviour,
  our belief is virtually equivalent.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• The Sermon on the Mount has its influence in
  either case.
• The Lessons of the Prophets are the same in
  either case.
• The Samaritan is the good example in either case.
• Working together for justice should be common
  ground for all faith communities.

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On the Shoulders of Giants

• Rick
• Warren
• -
• What is in your hand?