Monday, April 19, 2010

God: The Great Game of Hide-and-Seek

Science works and here's how.  A scientist will ask a simple question such as "how does 'x' work?".  Scientist will then form a hypothesis (educated guess) as to how "x" might work.  Scientist will then test hypothesis experimentally and the results (evidence) will either support or falsify the hypothesis.  Once scientist has evidence to support the hypothesis, scientist will publish findings and these will be reviewed and tested by other qualified scientists.  These scientists will attempt to find weaknesses in the hypothesis and replicate the evidence under their own controlled experiments.  If hypothesis is not falsified then the scientists will provisionally accept the hypothesis of how "x" works until such a time a new evidence, or more comprehensive hypothesis comes to light.
This process has been repeated many millions of times by qualified scientists, and this is why we have a longer life expectancy, why the internet works, why we understand how life evolves, why mothers usually survive childbirth and many, many more examples of the amazing benefits science has brought to humankind.
During these millions and millions of experiments and tests, not one time has it occurred that in order for "x" to work, god must have performed action "y".  Not once, never!  Scientists have explored and tested and hypothesized and theorized, and it has never been the case that a supernatural cause needed to be invoked.
And as these gaps in our knowledge shrink over time, religions constantly attempt to insert their gods into these holes in our current understanding.  Every single time that a scientist closes one of these holes, god vanishes almost as if he was never needed in the first place.  The holes are shrinking by the day as scientists resolve unknowns and improve our understanding of nature.  God is getting smaller and less necessary as an explanatory power for the mysteries of life.
The religious hold on to abiogenesis as the last bastion of god.  Science has not yet figured out how the first non-organic molecules evolved into self replicating organic life forms.  The religious see this as a massive hole and immediately insert their deity of choice into the gap.  Scientists would never show such hubris and claim knowledge of something that escapes explanation at that moment.  They say "I don't know, but I'm working on it".  The religious will say "god did it, and not only that, I know what this god looks like, what he wants, and that if you don't believe this too, you will suffer for eternity".  That is hubris and at a godlike scale.
The gaps are shrinking and god is neither required nor has a supernatural action ever been detected. God is hiding, but we have counted up to 10 and we are coming, ready or not.


4 comments:

Jan said...

Your penultimate statement that God is not required, links, quite well, with my post regarding why god, for some people, is very much required, but for all the wrong reasons. I would love to leave those that do need to believe in the supernatural, to quietly enjoy their convictions, to silently mull over their own stories and to bask, uninterrupted, in the delusions they choose - if only they could do that without trying to drag the non deluded along with them.

Nuppenny said...

I was just wondering, how long should it take until your hate mail starts arriving? Bobby Henderson got a bloke who screamed abuse at him in upper case, it was great fun.

Jan said...

Nupenny, from what I can work out, Christians are very much people of love and humility, so I can't see this happening. ;-)

Nuppenny said...

bugger