Wit and wisdom of Sir Fred Hoyle

[DStahl]

From Hoyle's book, <U>Home Is Where the Wind Blows</U>, pages 415-416:

"I purposely don't want to make God too remote--nothing like the awesome God of the ancient Hebrews--because I don't believe that concept is right, impressive as it may be. ... A mistake of all fundamentalist religions is that their gods have no sense of humor. This is because fundamentalist religions are maintained over long periods by ritual, and ritual, in its very nature, has no sense of humor."

I like that passage a lot (for brevity, I left out a retelling of a Spanish anecdote on humor and disrespect). Doubt the Big Bang cosmology though he did, Sir Hoyle was no fool!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: DStahl on 2001-10-29 19:31 ]</font>

[The Curtmudgeon]

Actually, although what most would term a Fundamentalist, I've always believed that God has a sense of humour. Come on, anyone that would create the giraffe, the dolphin, the penguin, and the platypus--not to mention Homo so-called sapiens--simply must have a sense of humour!

The (I'm sure He laughs at some of our theories! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif[/img] ) Curtmudgeon

[Mr. Wree]

I agree with The Curtmudgeon. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

I've always found god(s)laughable, err...comedic, err....a joke, err...divine punishment.

Really though, one person's god is another person's newspaper-wrapped fish.

Gods are qualitative entities by nature (without quantitative, empirical evidenciary proof they exist in Nature), like all other things judged beautiful.

Humor is more qualitative than quantitative, so gods are definitely funny.

[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Phobos]

Historically god worship has brought about socialogical advances - astronomy being one of them.

Sun worship has given us an understanding of agriculture. With efficient farming practices being one of the benifits in understanding the calendar, so people were freed up to invade neighbouring countries and develop atomic weapons.

We have a lot to thank religion for!

Jeff

[ljbrs]

God worship has also brought us the September 11, 2001 attrocities. God worship brought Giordano Bruno's being burned at the stake and Galileo's house arrest for promoting Copernicus' ideas.

God worship can do all kinds of harm. People are continuously wanting to kill or maim others who have differing religious beliefs.

Now, when scientists have differing beliefs, peer review will duke it out for them. Sometimes peer review will be wrong, in which case(s) later peer review can rectify the error(s) of previous peer review. I know of no scientists who actually kill other scientists for differing scientific theories.

ljbrs [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Mr. Wree]

<<<...Historically god worship has brought about socialogical advances - astronomy being one of them...>>

Um, when was the last time that irrational thinking produced rational thinking?

God worship is irrational thought. Astronomy is rational thought.

You must be thinking of astrology.

[SeanF]

Oh, great . . . another "Science vs. Religion" rant.

BA, got a thread that needs locking over here! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[junkyardfrog]

Actually, although what most would term a Fundamentalist, I've &lt;i>always&lt;/i> believed that God has a sense of humour. Come on, anyone that would create the giraffe, the dolphin, the penguin, and the platypus--not to mention &lt;i>Homo&lt;/i> so-called &lt;i>sapiens&lt;/i>--simply &lt;b>must&lt;/b> have a sense of humour!

The (I'm sure He laughs at some of our theories! &lt;IMG SRC="/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif"> ) Curtmudgeon

[Maksutov]

Actually, although what most would term a Fundamentalist, I've &lt;i>always&lt;/i> believed that God has a sense of humour. Come on, anyone that would create the giraffe, the dolphin, the penguin, and the platypus--not to mention &lt;i>Homo&lt;/i> so-called &lt;i>sapiens&lt;/i>--simply &lt;b>must&lt;/b> have a sense of humour!

The (I'm sure He laughs at some of our theories! &lt;IMG SRC="/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_lol.gif"> ) Curtmudgeon

And torturing sinners in hell for eternity as a result of transgressing any one of a nearly infinite laundry list of items.

What a cut-up!!! :roll: #-o

Hey, what do you say we leave the world of fantasy and the supernatural, and get back to Astronomy?