RE: MD On Faith

From: Mark Steven Heyman (markheyman@infoproconsulting.com)
Date: Fri Oct 08 2004 - 19:22:51 BST

  • Next message: Scott Roberts: "RE: MD On Faith"

    platt:
    As Godel showed, if religion requires belief in unprovable truth,
    math is the only religion that can prove it's a religion.

    msh says:
    I seriously doubt that Godel said anything as silly as this, unless
    he was going for laughs at some cocktail party. If belief in
    unprovable truth is all that's required for a system of thought to be
    a religion then, sure, science is a religion, math is a religion, and
    the MOQ is a religion. But, as we all know, religion requires much
    more than a belief in unprovable truth; it requires a belief in God.

    msh said:
    > Any attempt to draw some faith-based parallel between science and
    > religion is doomed to failure if not fraud.

    platt:
    Godel's Theorem proves otherwise. If I have to choose between the
    cogitations of MSH or Godel, I'm inclined to go with Godel. :-)

    msh says:
    This is your understanding of Godel's Theorem? That it shows a faith-
    based parallel between science and religion? As suggested above, the
    only thing the Theorem proves is that no deductive system is complete
    in and of itself; that it must always be built upon propositions the
    truth of which are undecidable within the system. Hardly the same as
    a belief in God. Or even Godel. Or me.

    Best,
    msh

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