Why Do the Religious Reject Science While Embracing the Impossible?

[accelafine]

What is means is that there isn't an infinite regress of causes that accounts for the universe.

Imagine being so feeble minded that you have to refer to William Lane Craig for your 'argument'

[Immanuel Can]

But at this point, if you "can't" see that, it can be only because of one of two reasons. Pick the one it is:
1. You're trolling.

2. You don't understand basic mathematics.

I choose option 3.

Then we're done. Basic logic and mathematics must be beyond you.

[Immanuel Can]

Imagine ...

Imagine being able to spell and count. Judging by your incomprehension of simple logic and maths, it's probably as close as you'll get.

[accelafine]

Imagine ...

Imagine being able to spell and count. Judging by your incomprehension of simple logic and maths, it's probably as close as you'll get.

That's funny, coming from someone who actually believes he's posting proof of his bigsuperdaddy

[Skepdick]

Then we're done. Basic logic and mathematics must be beyond you.

Basic logic isn't the topic at hand. it's the advanced stuff that you are struggling with.

[BigMike]

Once we let go of the illusion of free will and accept determinism as the guiding principle of our existence, it’s natural to feel unmoored, as though meaning and purpose have evaporated. This can be unsettling because so much of what we believe about ourselves—our choices, morality, and aspirations—has been tied to the idea of free will. But determinism doesn’t strip life of meaning; rather, it reshapes how we view it and offers a different kind of clarity, even liberation.

Imagine for a moment that instead of seeing yourself as an isolated entity making independent choices, you see yourself as part of an immense, interconnected web of causes and effects. Your thoughts, emotions, and actions are all shaped by this network, stretching back to the origins of the universe. This perspective doesn’t diminish your existence; it highlights how profoundly you’re connected to everything around you. You’re not a solitary actor making arbitrary decisions but an integral part of the universe's unfolding story.

From this understanding, a path forward emerges—not one built on the illusion of autonomy, but one grounded in compassion, curiosity, and purpose. Compassion becomes natural when you recognize that others, like you, are shaped by forces beyond their control. Their flaws, their struggles, even their acts of cruelty stem from causes they didn’t choose. This doesn’t excuse harm but reframes how we respond to it. Rather than blame, we can seek to understand and address the underlying causes. Justice, then, shifts from retribution to prevention, from punishment to restoration.

Curiosity replaces judgment as the engine of progress. If every action is the result of prior causes, then learning becomes the key to shaping better outcomes. We can investigate what fosters well-being, creativity, and cooperation, using the tools of science, art, and philosophy not to dominate the world but to align with it. Determinism doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding the forces at play and working within them to steer outcomes toward what we value most.

And what about purpose? Without free will, purpose isn’t something we “choose” in the traditional sense, but that doesn’t make it less real. Purpose arises from our connections, our passions, and our desires, all of which are shaped by the interplay of our biology, culture, and experiences. When we see ourselves as part of the larger causal web, purpose becomes about contributing to that web in meaningful ways—by reducing suffering, fostering understanding, or simply experiencing the beauty and complexity of existence.

Accepting determinism doesn’t trap us; it frees us from illusions that often lead to unnecessary guilt, blame, and conflict. It invites us to focus not on what might have been but on what can be, given the conditions we have now. It shifts our focus from individualism to interdependence, from control to cooperation. It asks us not to judge life for its limits but to embrace it as it is: dynamic, interconnected, and full of possibility.

So the path forward isn’t about giving up—it’s about embracing reality as it unfolds and finding peace and purpose within it. It’s about waking up in the morning not because you chose to, but because, in this great unfolding of existence, there’s still so much to explore, to feel, and to create. That’s the beauty of living in a determined universe—not in defiance of it, but as part of its grand, intricate design.

[FlashDangerpants]

Curiosity replaces judgment as the engine of progress.

[BigMike]

Curiosity replaces judgment as the engine of progress.

Ah, Flash, always the ray of sunshine! If curiosity replacing judgment makes your stomach turn, maybe you prefer sticking with the good old-fashioned blame and retribution system? Nothing says "progress" like a healthy dose of finger-pointing, right?

[FlashDangerpants]

Curiosity replaces judgment as the engine of progress.

Ah, Flash, always the ray of sunshine! If curiosity replacing judgment makes your stomach turn, maybe you prefer sticking with the good old-fashioned blame and retribution system? Nothing says "progress" like a healthy dose of finger-pointing, right?

Nothing says insecurity quite like your endless bleating about your ignore list combined with your inability to do the actual ignoring.

It's the quality of your prose that is causing this particular vomit. You are at your very worst when you try to write an Obama speech.

[BigMike]

Ah, Flash, always the ray of sunshine! If curiosity replacing judgment makes your stomach turn, maybe you prefer sticking with the good old-fashioned blame and retribution system? Nothing says "progress" like a healthy dose of finger-pointing, right?

Nothing says insecurity quite like your endless bleating about your ignore list combined with your inability to do the actual ignoring.

It's the quality of your prose that is causing this particular vomit. You are at your very worst when you try to write an Obama speech.

Flash, it seems I’ve struck a nerve—or maybe just the wrong literary tone for your palate. I’ll leave the Obama speeches to Obama, but let’s not confuse disagreement with the merits of an idea for disdain over delivery. If you’re finding my prose hard to stomach, consider it an unintended contribution to your rigorous standards of critique.

Btw - who on my ignore list have I not ignored?

[Atla]

I think we need a new concept here, spiritual determinism. When one's mediocre understanding of determinism is accompanied by feelings of spiritual ecstasy.

[FlashDangerpants]

Ah, Flash, always the ray of sunshine! If curiosity replacing judgment makes your stomach turn, maybe you prefer sticking with the good old-fashioned blame and retribution system? Nothing says "progress" like a healthy dose of finger-pointing, right?

Nothing says insecurity quite like your endless bleating about your ignore list combined with your inability to do the actual ignoring.

It's the quality of your prose that is causing this particular vomit. You are at your very worst when you try to write an Obama speech.

Flash, it seems I’ve struck a nerve—or maybe just the wrong literary tone for your palate. I’ll leave the Obama speeches to Obama, but let’s not confuse disagreement with the merits of an idea for disdain over delivery. If you’re finding my prose hard to stomach, consider it an unintended contribution to your rigorous standards of critique.

We've covered the merits of your work extensively already, it's not really much of an issue and you'll be forgotten fairly quickly once you have us all on your prodigious ignore list and just bugger off to some other site to plug your ebook to yet another apathetic audience that probably won't share your elevated opinion of Big Mike's Big Ideas.

But that whole celebration of lost agency angle is silly, bordering on pseudo-religiosity. Your rhetorical stylings take the form of overcooked cheese.

Btw - who on my ignore list have I not ignored?

Are you gaslighting me? When you wrote "Your application, therefore, is duly approved." you were putting me on your ignore list were you not?

[Atla]

When you cherish determinism and it blossoms in your heart, it fosters love, kindness and compassion, it inspires you to become the best version of yourself that you can be.

[Dubious]

Once we let go of the illusion of free will and accept determinism as the guiding principle of our existence, it’s natural to feel unmoored, as though meaning and purpose have evaporated. This can be unsettling because so much of what we believe about ourselves—our choices, morality, and aspirations—has been tied to the idea of free will. But determinism doesn’t strip life of meaning; rather, it reshapes how we view it and offers a different kind of clarity, even liberation.

Whether or not we believe in free will, it will not change any of our usual behavioral routines or social conditions. As always, it will be business as usual. The only event which can incisively modify our behavior is one of prolonged and intense trauma, compared to which negating free will is a mere formality since most people wouldn't give it the least regard in how their lives unfold.

In effect, the cancellation of free will does not offer any kind of metanoia in its wake. That which is more or less fixed and determined remains in spite of all our philosophic free will pondering.

[FlashDangerpants]

When you cherish determinism and it blossoms in your heart, it fosters love, kindness and compassion, it inspires you to become the best version of yourself that you can be.

Cower for safety between the iron thighs of the deterministic overlords you blithering peasant!!