John Alleyn-Day wrote:

"Stigers, Gregory - ANDOVER" wrote:
>>
>>The Voyager fans on the list may be reminded of an
>>episode in which a practitioner of ritual religion pointed out that
>>Captain Janeway's belief that their science could tell them what was
>>killing Kess was a belief, no more warranted than their belief that
>>properly carrying out a certain ritual would heal Kess.

>Religion originated as a way of explaining the way the world works and
>influencing that working if possible (this is the reason Galileo got into
>so much trouble with the church and why creationists won't accept
>evolution).  Of course, science is a belief, in the sense that any idea is
>a belief;  however, there is one crucial difference between science and
>ritual religion.  Science works.

Not to get into too much of a debate on whether creation by God or creation
by the Big Bang is the "right" answer, I will simply point out that both
the Big Bang and Darwin's evolution are called "theories".  While these
theories have not been disproved, neither have they been 100% proved.  Just
as there are scientists that believe in the Big Bang and Darwin, there are
scientist that believe in creation by God.  Each requires a jump beyond the
available facts as we know them today.  You first sentence on the
origination of religion would match exactly with the Big Bang Theory and
the Theory of Evolution - These too were created "... as a way of
explaining the way the world works and influencing that working if
possible."

Not all science, or religion, is belief.  We do know some facts, such as
water being two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen and that a man named "David"
was the king of Israel.  I'm sure Wirt, because of his upbringing and
training, could write books and books on all the facts of science and
religion that are known to mankind.

So, both science and religion are fact based, and both require faith or
belief.

Larry Boyd
*These really are my opinions and not necessarily those of HP or any
others*