Reason Falls Short

If there's one thing I've learned since I enlisted myself to the study of the physical sciences, its that when debating with people of religious influence there is little to no argument by logic and reason, even while debating purely physical processes. This is infact not a reaction to any kind of commentary on the last post's quote on divinity and the unknown, but to a couple MSN conversations today with people planning to see the big screen version of The Da Vinci Code in the near future.

All the reviews I've read and accounts I've heard place the movie release as a rather dull portrayal of the book. I know that's not in any way uncommon from books going to movies with all the lost detail, and I think, the lost imaginitive presence of the reader in creating the characters and setting, but lets not all go Grade 11 English nerd here. The book read like a movie, but its easy to see that the details alluded to in the novel can't all be assumed of the movie goer with a piqued interest just in the controversialty around the whole thing.

The movie will still make its money on Tom Hanks and Ron Howard's names and the uproar from Opus Dei and the Catholic church and so on, and maybe inspire a few people to read into things.

That said, people still hold steadfast in beliefs of the powers that be in the church instead of reasoning for themselves. Historically we have examples of the persecution of Copernicus and Galileo's theories while currently debates still rage over the theories of Darwin which prove themselves every day in the fruits, vegetables, grains and meats we eat. Or one can look at suggestions, without as common a name around them, on for instance the use of condoms to prevent the spread of sexually transmissable diseases instead favouring the continued approach of trying to teach chastity which isn't recognized by a large proportion of even those who profess to be devout followers and believers.

Like my issues with the government, its often the hypocrisy that kills me when trying to debate views with some intelligence. I'm obviously not a pillar of intelligence on all these subjects myself, but the glaring contradictions and lack of logic frustrate me to no end.

So endeth the sermon.