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Science In Islamic Countries
biohack sends us to Physics Today for a thought-provoking article on the status of and prospects for science in Islamic countries. The author, a Pakistani physicist, posits that 'Internal causes led to the decline of Islam's scientific greatness long before the era of mercantile imperialism. To contribute once again, Muslims must be introspective and ask what went wrong.' The author makes a few strong conclusions, many of which are relevant to the general debate between science and religion. From the article: "Science finds every soil barren in which miracles are taken literally and seriously and revelation is considered to provide authentic knowledge of the physical world. If the scientific method is trashed, no amount of resources or loud declarations of intent to develop science can compensate. In those circumstances, scientific research becomes, at best, a kind of cataloging or 'butterfly-collecting' activity. It cannot be a creative process of genuine inquiry in which bold hypotheses are made and checked."
Total crap. The Arab world was at its scientific height under Muslim rule and is the only reason the west has the science it has.
The scientific establishment need to recognize that it did ot arise separate from the rest of the world, the Islaamicc world was centuries aahead of the west for quite a long time.
Us Chinese blame the Arabs for the rise of the west. They sacked our colony, took our printing technology and gave it to Europe. If not for printing Europe would still be a cultural and technological back water.
"There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
Much of that "past greatness" is just historical revisionism. Islam's "Golden Age" was just a fading echo of the cultures Muslims had conquered, and the scientific achievements were mostly done by non-Muslims, heretics and unorthodox Muslims. The Golden Age existed in spite of Islam, not because of it. The poverty of science in the Islamic world is probably permanent, because Islam doesn't really allow free thinking, which is essential for science and philosophy. The only innovation Muslims seem to be doing these days is finding new and better ways of murdering people.
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An unfortunately necessary note to any moderators: no, I'm not fucking "trolling" or "flamebaiting." As amazing as this sounds, the Internet is full of people who disagree with you and hold unpopular opinions, and just because they do that doesn't mean they're all flamebaiting trolls. If you disagree with me then either post a reply or shut the fuck up. The only thing you prove by downmodding me is that I'm right and you can't come up with a response.
Wow, flamebait much? I bet you're a big hit with the Bible Literalists too.
I read the internet for the articles.
Believing "islamic history" is like believing Joseph Smith used seeing stones to read golden plates out of a hat.
Or that the Hale-Bopp comet was really a spaceship coming to take your spirit to heaven.
Or that Jim Jones was the reincarnation of both Jesus and Buddha.
Or that the evil alien warlord Xenu flew millions of aliens to earth in rocket-equipped DC-7's, dumped them into volcanoes, blew them up with nuclear bombs, and then stranded them on earth to infect apes and turn into modern man.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
.....Hell, that's why the Muslim religion has a standing death threat for converting away.......
Indeed, especially if a Muslim converts to become a Christian. Early scientists were mostly Christians. The Bible encourages examination of God's creation and our power of reason. It's just that those who call themselves Christians have often not paid attention as to what the Bible actually says about this matter.
All theory is gray
Tolerance is just another word for putting up with shit that you can't stand. And there is no god.
We've got two kinds of people who "tolerate" shit in this world, both are pricks. We've got the asshole who "tolerates" gays, blacks, jews, and whoever else they hate for no fucking reason. And then we have the assholes who "tolerate" mass genocides, corporate imperialism, and teaching children that a magic fairy named jesus created the world 6000 years ago.
We don't need anyone who "should tolerate" these things, so why do we care if they do or not? We don't need tolerance. What we fucking need is some grown ups.
The Farewell Tour II
People spouting christian nonsense in biology class should be turned out on their ear. There has never been a credible challenge to Darwinian evolution and likely never will be, and it definitely wouldn't be discovered by a couple of pricks who got lost on the way to Sunday school and wound up in BIO101.
There is no reason to rationally, or otherwise, "defend" evolution from clowns like yourself. Every "argument" you guys have ever come up with has been torn to pieces a thousand times over. You have NOTHING. If all we do is kick you out of class and laugh at you once you're gone be lucky.
The Farewell Tour II
I'll bet you're a Republican (or maybe even a Conservative).
.....the divinity and sacrifice of Jesus.....
It is these that make forgiveness and mercy possible. What mechanism is there in Islam for mercy and forgiveness? If Allah is the same God as the Christian God, then He has to be just and as such a just God MUST uphold His law. That law says that the soul that sins, it shall die. Jesus took that punishment for those who believe in Him. With justice satisfied the Christian God can now offer mercy. If Allah is just, on what basis can he offer mercy even if he wanted to? Maybe the Christian God and Allah are the same in name, but evidently not in character.
All theory is gray
>> Christian nutcases don't in general have murder and mayhem on their mind
Three hundred thousand dead Iraqis may disagree with you on that one. The christian nutcase currently in charge of this country seems pretty bloodthirsty, too.