Science, Magic and Religion

There seems to be three types of "things" in this world: Science, Magic and Religion.


Science

In Science, something happens and you have an understanding of how it happens. You can repeat it, if you have the tools or money. Baking a cake is a science to most American 20 year olds. They can buy a box of cake mix, buy the ingredients called for in the recipe and bake the cake. If you bake ten cakes they will all taste about the same, though the ingredients are a little bit different for each cake (is one medium egg the exact same as another medium egg, is one cup of flour exactly the same as another cup of flour. No, they're slightly different from one another). All ten are basically the same as each other in size, texture, and flavor. If you can bake a cake, then baking a cake is Science to you.


Magic

In Magic, something happens and you don't have an understanding of how it happens. To a five year old, baking a cake doesn't work so well. He can’t reach the eggs in the refrigerator and doesn't know the difference between flour and baking soda. He mixes what ingredients he has and puts them into the oven. Opps, he forgot to turn on the oven, so he does. The temperature is 225 degrees, not quite high enough but that doesn't matter because he can only wait three minutes before his patients run out and he pulls his "cake" out of the oven. It didn't work too well. Baking a cake is Magic to him.

Later in life, after the five year old has grown up a bit, he finally learns how to bake a cake. It has now become Science to him and the Science has made the Magic go away.


Religion

In Religion, nothing happens. You make up a story, tell it to others and make up supporting stories to, well, support your original story. Everything that you say is not true, it is all a lie. I tell you "Prove it.". You tell me you don't have to prove it, that I must "Just Believe.". Sorry, I don't believe.

Now it may sound like I don't like Religion. That's not true. I love Religion. Every TV show that I watch is religious. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer a little 16 year old girl puts a wooden stake through a vampire's heart and he turns into a mound of dust. In Star Trek the Next Generation, captain Pickard tells the ships navigator "Stop the ship. We'll hold right here and wait for the enemy to come to us.". Well, that can't be done in space. You can't stop anywhere in space, you're always moving. The TV show is 100% religious, all phony, all lies, yet very entertaining to me. All the shows and movies that I watch, Buffy, Angle, Star Treks, Babylon 5, Xena, Star Gate, Soldier, Lord of the Rings, etc., etc., etc., are all lies, none of what they tell is true. I don't believe anything in any of them but I enjoy watching them anyway.




I tend to believe in Science. I use what little brains I have to learn how Magic things work. I'm always striving to make the Science make the Magic go away. Religion I watch for entertainment only. I don't believe in Religion. 





          By Rod Heilfron


                              Send email to: rodneyj123@cox.net
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