Seems as the discussion seems to be going ok and nobody is offended , Ill give my two cents on the matter.
A few people have mentioned that science explains the how and not the why, as though the why is a question beyond science, and answerable by other areas, such as religion. I do not believe this is the case, and I trust nobody who thinks they have the answer - nobody on earth knows any better than you do yourself!
Religion has no answers in regards to "why" in my opinion no better than science at least. This is an arguement from incredulity. a "God of the Gaps" Basically, just because we do not have an answer for something does not mean the answer lies in the supernatural or is beyond our comprehension. The more we find out about the universe that created us, the smaller the gaps keep getting. First of all god created anything in seven days, then we proved this was false, , the universe created this, but then god created manand he gave us a purpose. Then this gap gets smaller because most rationally thinking people observe we are a species of ape.
So now all that is left is the reason for existence since the process of existence is pretty much explained, thus the gap to squeeze the creator into has shrunk. What is to say it will not shrink further?
And science, is not a religion. It is not a religion for several important points.
Science is based on scientific method. Theories begin as hypothesis which are rigorously tested and peer reviewed. If the theory repeatedly yields correctly predicted results it is generally held to be correct. If the theory works better than an existing theory, scientists will change what they previously believed to be correct.
None of this is so about a religion. A religion is not based on tests, peer review or theory. Unlike science, religion tends to predict absolute accuracy with its ideas because it is based on revelation not logical theory. It is a fact muhammed is the prophet, it is a fact jesus was the son of god. It is a fact krishna exists, so much so many people are prepared to die for their belief which they hold to be 100% correct. If a fact comes along that disproves a religious aspect, then many religious do not disband their old belief and update it, they simply ignore the evidence. Hence, definitely not, is science a religion.
Now of course, you get the grey areas, because essensially we are all human beings. Many people who follow religions will disagree with aspects of it, and will modify their beliefs and many scientists become so entrenched in a theory they spend all their lives trying to prove it, ignoring the probability they are wrong.
So what about l mysticism? Theism and Atheism can be seen as a spectrum, it has two very polar opposites but it also blurs together in the middle with pantheism, or universal sentience , and the two ideas become essencially the same thing - A sense of wonder.
There may or may not be a why to being, science and religion only take us so far with the questions they ask never mind the answers they give, like I said before, nobody is going to tell us the answers, perhaps their is no point in asking the questions. I think we should enjoy it while it lasts, and I'm bothered by the Alpha courses recently ad campaign on the side of the bus which shows a man on a mountain saying "Is there more to life than this?"
How much more do you want?
