Do You Like Sealed Box Analogy For Representing Religion?
You know, humans have always had this sealed box in front of them and in this box are the answers to all the mysteries of life and the universe. Religions form when a charismatic person or group of people makes a wild guess at what’s in the box and they convince a bunch of gullible ignoramuses to believe their guesses.
In the last few centuries, science has enabled us to crack open the lid just a little bit and more accurately guess at the contents of the box and gradually, the wild guesses made by religious people are being replaced with knowledge and facts. But religious people know that once the lid is opened enough, their guesses at what the box contains will be shown for what they are – unfounded myth and primitive irrational superstition. So naturally they oppose the efforts made by society’s thinkers to open the lid because it’s the thinkers who want to know what’s in the box whilst the believers are content with merely believing what’s is in the box.
That is a good analogy.
Especially when people are not that interested in being anything other than igoramuses.
I like it as an analogy for representing what is unknown. I think it’s a mistake to think that science is made up only of knowledge and facts though. There is also interpretation, and behind some of that interpretation lie philosophical theories of a speculative nature. Often scientists are not aware of the philosophical assumptions they are making.
I would suggest that the sealed box, once opened, will always have another sealed box concealed within it. I also think people can have what could be described as religious experiences and thoughts without they’re trying to say something about what is in the box.
Part of philosophy is showing that there is still a sealed box to those who think they have discovered all the secrets. Doing this needn’t have anything to do with religion, necessarily. Hope this is quite interesting.
Science by definition is the study of the natural universe in natural terms. The supernatural lies totally outside the purview of science, and science therefore cannot make a valid statement about it pro or con. The only thing science could discover by opening that box would be its own inadequacy to address any questions contained within.
Yea I know,
Growing up unsaved and in public schools I was sealed in the evolution box.
But now Christ came and set me free from that box.
John 8:36
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed”
Have you ever even taken a basic Introduction to Philosophy course? For someone so certain of herself, there really does seem to be a huge gap in the premises underlying your arguments.
Yes, I’m sure that is exactly what Palaeolithic man was thinking at the time when he decided to worship mother earth and father sky.
(….sarcasm)
It’s a crappy analogy, because box means c*nt. I’m sorry.
It is a useful analogy.
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Regards,
John Popelish
No I hate analogy’s why not just call them dumb?
Yes, I do.
Works for me.
no
ok
Funny that you are unaware that you are describing the exact opposite of an ancient story about this topic — Pandora’s Box.
“Pandora had been given a large jar and instruction by Zeus to keep it closed, but she had also been given the gift of curiosity, and ultimately opened it. When she opened it, all of the evils, ills, diseases, and burdensome labor that mankind had not known previously, escaped from the jar, but it is said, that at the very bottom of her box, there lay hope.
There is no reason to think Pandora acted out of malice in opening the jar, for she was exercising her curiosity, and also when she saw what was let out of it, she quickly closed it. ”
Historicallly you are way off about science. It was Christianity that overthrew Aristotle, who said he knew what was in the box because everything operates from necessity so all that is needed is logic. For centuries and centuries people thought that a heavy object fell faster than a light one — because Aristotle said so !!
Specifically Christianity gave birth to science
=====>The doctrine of the lawfulness of of nature
As they believed in a law abiding creator God, even before the rediscovery of Greek thought, twelfth century Christians felt they could investigate the natural world for secondary causes rather than put everything down to fate (like the ancients) or the will of Allah (like Moslems). Although we see a respect for the powers of reason by Arab scholars they did not seem to make the step of looking for universal laws of nature.
=====> The need to examine the real world rather than rely on pure reason
Christians insisted that God could have created the world any way he like and so Aristotle’s insistence that the world was the way it was because it had to be was successfully challenged. This meant that his ideas started to be tested and abandoned if they did not measure up.
====> The belief that science was a sacred duty
… features again and again in scientific writing. The early modern scientists were inspired by their faith to make their discoveries and saw studying the creation of God as a form of worship. This led to a respect for nature and the attempt to find simple, economical solutions to problems. Hence Copernicus felt he could propose a heliocentric model for no better reason that it seemed more elegant.
Desiree needs to open that box a little.
No I don’t think this is correct at all. The knowledge has been there from the very beginning about God. If what you were saying were true than 40 different charismatic people who didn’t know each other wrote the 66 books of the Bible. That doesn’t make sense. Trying to fathom these things with human understanding is quite arrogant. Swallow your pride and accept the fact that the truth has been revealed since the beginning to man and Satan has been trying to distort the truth by various philosophies, cults, and New Age teachings since that time.
A better analogy is that in the box is the Bible, and so many are too arrogant to open the box and see what’s inside, because it will convict them of thier sin, and pride. Satan was prideful and wants to deceive you, and hide the truth too.