What's more likely to make you apostate, science or theology?

[ChinoCoug]

Apparently theology.

The Harvard and Yale divinity schools did not train their students to earn their own livings behind a horse and a plow or prepare them to spend half their days in the saddle going from one rural hamlet to another.As George Whitefield charged, the primary impact of these schools on many of their studnets, then as now, may have been to replace faith with theology and belief with unbelief. Indeed, it was in the religion departments and divinity schools, not in the science departments, that unbelief was formulated, and promulgated in American intellectual life."

Finke, Roger, and Rodney Stark. The Churching of America: Winners and Losers in our Religion Economy. New Brunswick, N.J.: Routledge, p. 86.


It's encouraging to know that more concrete, precise disciplines won't be hazardous to one's faith like the more abstract ones, speculative ones.

[Indy Coug]

That question should be "science or APOSTATE theology?"

[Archaea]

I don't believe study creates apostasy for the most part, but the uncaring, noninclusive mullah atmosphere within Church creates it. A big tent environment would eliminate a lot of apostasy.

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

That question should be "science or APOSTATE theology?"

no theology was ever intended to make one apostate

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by ChinoCoug

no theology was ever intended to make one apostate

I didn't say that was the intent, I'm just saying that a theology even more flawed than Mormonism is going to result in a lot of disillusionment when they can't reconcile flawed theology with scriptures, reason and so forth.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Archaea

I don't believe study creates apostasy for the most part, but the uncaring, noninclusive mullah atmosphere within Church creates it. A big tent environment would eliminate a lot of apostasy.

Eliminating commandments would create a lot fewer sinners too.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Indy Coug

I didn't say that was the intent, I'm just saying that a theology even more flawed than Mormonism is going to result in a lot of disillusionment when they can't reconcile flawed theology with scriptures, reason and so forth.

Theology evolves or evolved to explain in philosophical and metaphysical terms how religious ideas relate to nonreligious matter. Because it is more dry that the emotive aspects of charismatic religious movements, it can tend to bore or cause one to drift. In one sense, theology is the scientific language acting as the exoskeleton of religious movements. Mormonism is the anti-theological religion, because it was created through the efforts of nonscholars, ranchers, farmers, workers, not preeminent scholars of the day a la historical Christianity.

[ChinoCoug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

Theology evolves or evolved to explain in philosophical and metaphysical terms how religious ideas relate to nonreligious matter. Because it is more dry that the emotive aspects of charismatic religious movements, it can tend to bore or cause one to drift. In one sense, theology is the scientific language acting as the exoskeleton of religious movements. Mormonism is the anti-theological religion, because it was created through the efforts of nonscholars, ranchers, farmers, workers, not preeminent scholars of the day a la historical Christianity.

it causes one to drift because in the end, half of it is BS anyway.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by ChinoCoug

it causes one to drift because in the end, half of it is BS anyway.

It's just people's way of trying to explain something that they don't understand, so I wouldn't call it BS, just perhaps scientifically unverifiable, as is almost all aspects of religious activity or belief.

[Indy Coug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

It's just people's way of trying to explain something that they don't understand, so I wouldn't call it BS, just perhaps scientifically unverifiable, as is almost all aspects of religious activity or belief.

Well, from an LDS viewpoint, their theology is fatally flawed due to a lack of continuing revelation, purposeful meddling and so forth.