Post by jtrejo on Jan 9, 2015 19:36:59 GMT
Why was Socrates sentenced to death?
Socrates was accused of not believing in the gods. Socrates tried to be understanding of the Athenian religion and had always had interest in religious questions but often questioned their way of reasoning. For example, in The Socratic Dialogue, Socrates asked what is piety but could not get a clear answer. As a result, what I believe he concluded was that all the gods cannot necessarily look down upon him for what he was being prosecuted for if each god differ in opinion with what is just and unjust.
Furthermore, Meletus, the prosecutor, accused Socrates for corrupting the youth. Socrates enjoys telling others his thoughts and ideas, and has also said in The Socratic Dialogue, that he would even pay for a listener. However Soctrates believed the Athenians may have seen him as too talkative. In The Socratic Dialogue, Socrates is telling Euthyphro that Meletus is claiming that Socrates invents new gods and does not acknowledge the old gods.
“Socrates acts wickedly, and is criminally curious in searching,” Socrates was not worshiping but thinking, and the Athenians did not approve (How Socrates Died 31). Socrates, I believe, was an existentialist; the Athenians did not agree with Socrates questioning their religion and the gods. I believe Socrates thought the Athenian religion was using their superiority to make the people become whatever they desired them to be; the people did not truly have a free will.
Socrates had the opportunity to escape his death sentence but refused. Crito had already set an escape plan, but Socrates did not agree to follow with the plan. Socrates believed it was more important to respect the State and abide by the laws no matter what it was going to cost him. Socrates was then said to be guilty and was forced to drink the hemlock poison.
Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion?
Science and religion are not absolutely in conflict. Conflict arises when certain topics are believed in different ways. The religious will believe something occurred one way, while scientists will say it occurred another. There is the religious truth and the scientific truth, and that is where conflict ascends. However, science is not trying to ascertain god’s inexistence, but many of the religious believe otherwise.
Although god and other religious beliefs cannot be proven, neither can certain scientific beliefs. For example, the Big Bang Theory is merely a theory and not necessarily confirmed to be absolutely true. However, when the theory was first announced, many scientists believed it to be true. Similarly, in the way religious believe god to be real. When the Big Bang Theory was publicized, many of the religious believed that god created the Big Bang. While the Big Bang is a scientific explanation, some of the religious accepted it and included the theory as a part of their reasoning. Science and religion are both telling the same story but just in a different way.
Another example can be the question, what exactly is matter. In The Great Mystery, it is said, “matter isn’t just one thing,” but rather many things. Though, when we try to get deeper into matter, it becomes a mystery, because the deeper one goes, less is understood. However, even though it is unknown, scientists still believe there is more to matter.
I am not a very religious person, but I do have some faith in god. Some say god is the one who gave life to earth; he created all. If he created everything, then I believe he must have created science, and math, etc. If god created all, then he created matter. Matter should not only be something scientific, matter, I believe, can coexist with religion as well. God provided knowledge for the people, so we will find answers to questions we have. As Michael Shermer said, “Believers can have both religion and science as long as there is no attempt to make reality unreal, to turn naturalism into supernaturalism.”
Socrates was accused of not believing in the gods. Socrates tried to be understanding of the Athenian religion and had always had interest in religious questions but often questioned their way of reasoning. For example, in The Socratic Dialogue, Socrates asked what is piety but could not get a clear answer. As a result, what I believe he concluded was that all the gods cannot necessarily look down upon him for what he was being prosecuted for if each god differ in opinion with what is just and unjust.
Furthermore, Meletus, the prosecutor, accused Socrates for corrupting the youth. Socrates enjoys telling others his thoughts and ideas, and has also said in The Socratic Dialogue, that he would even pay for a listener. However Soctrates believed the Athenians may have seen him as too talkative. In The Socratic Dialogue, Socrates is telling Euthyphro that Meletus is claiming that Socrates invents new gods and does not acknowledge the old gods.
“Socrates acts wickedly, and is criminally curious in searching,” Socrates was not worshiping but thinking, and the Athenians did not approve (How Socrates Died 31). Socrates, I believe, was an existentialist; the Athenians did not agree with Socrates questioning their religion and the gods. I believe Socrates thought the Athenian religion was using their superiority to make the people become whatever they desired them to be; the people did not truly have a free will.
Socrates had the opportunity to escape his death sentence but refused. Crito had already set an escape plan, but Socrates did not agree to follow with the plan. Socrates believed it was more important to respect the State and abide by the laws no matter what it was going to cost him. Socrates was then said to be guilty and was forced to drink the hemlock poison.
Why is there a conflict (for some) between science and religion?
Science and religion are not absolutely in conflict. Conflict arises when certain topics are believed in different ways. The religious will believe something occurred one way, while scientists will say it occurred another. There is the religious truth and the scientific truth, and that is where conflict ascends. However, science is not trying to ascertain god’s inexistence, but many of the religious believe otherwise.
Although god and other religious beliefs cannot be proven, neither can certain scientific beliefs. For example, the Big Bang Theory is merely a theory and not necessarily confirmed to be absolutely true. However, when the theory was first announced, many scientists believed it to be true. Similarly, in the way religious believe god to be real. When the Big Bang Theory was publicized, many of the religious believed that god created the Big Bang. While the Big Bang is a scientific explanation, some of the religious accepted it and included the theory as a part of their reasoning. Science and religion are both telling the same story but just in a different way.
Another example can be the question, what exactly is matter. In The Great Mystery, it is said, “matter isn’t just one thing,” but rather many things. Though, when we try to get deeper into matter, it becomes a mystery, because the deeper one goes, less is understood. However, even though it is unknown, scientists still believe there is more to matter.
I am not a very religious person, but I do have some faith in god. Some say god is the one who gave life to earth; he created all. If he created everything, then I believe he must have created science, and math, etc. If god created all, then he created matter. Matter should not only be something scientific, matter, I believe, can coexist with religion as well. God provided knowledge for the people, so we will find answers to questions we have. As Michael Shermer said, “Believers can have both religion and science as long as there is no attempt to make reality unreal, to turn naturalism into supernaturalism.”