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*