What’s special about religious ’knowledge?’
Jerry Coyne, over at Why Evolution is True, has repeated a challenge (see Once again: does religion produce knowledge?). He does this after renewing once again his argument that religion as a “way of knowing” is an illusion. This was in response to an article by Patrick MacNamara objecting to his Coyne’s claim in a guardian article:
“And although science and religion are said to be ’different ways of knowing’, religion isn’t really a way of knowing anything — it’s a way of believing what you’d like to be true. Faith has never vouchsafed us a single truth about the universe.”
Jerry finishes his piece with:
“Christopher Hitchens has offered his challenge to the faithful, and I have offered mine: tell me exactly what ’knowledge’ religion has provided that is not derivable from secular reason. Like Hitchens, I still have not received an answer.”
I know how Jerry feels. I bet he get lots of claims but do any of them stand up?
See also: Jerry’s book Why Evolution Is True.
0 Responses to “What’s special about religious ’knowledge?’”
The challenge has been answered here:
http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/jerrys-challenge/
No it hasn’t Rob. vjtorley did not attempt any answer at all. (And if you thought he had you would have repeated his answer – wouldn’t you?). He simply made assertions and then claimed that one could not answer them without a god belief – no justification.
When actually those two assertions are easily asnwered without any need to drag in gods.
(“god did it” is never a correct answer).
By the way, draggin the bottom of the barrel to rely on creationist “uncommon descent” aren’t you?
Most of the answers to such a question that I have run into boil down to:
1. You should pray.
2. God is everywhere.
3. HE has the answers, and that’s all you need to know.
There’s only one I can think of, but its a sort of cheat – some thing that religion has provided, but not a fact that the religious would claim to know…
Religion has shown us exactly how susceptible human beings are to delusions.
Religious knowledge says just the opposite of what we see on that image!