by Gerald_Waving my Freak-flag High Brewster
Member since:
February 18, 2007

Steven Weinberg (1933 - ) ~ Quote of the Day

June 19, 2012 12:07 AM UTC
views: 0 | 4 people recommend this | comments: 9

 

Steven Weinberg (born May 3, 1933), American theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate in Physics for his contributions with Abdus Salam and Sheldon Glashow to the unification of the weak force and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles. 

"With or without religion, good people can
behave well and bad people can do evil;
but for good people to do evil—that takes religion. "
                                                ~  Steven Weinberg

Comments: 9

Betty S. Jun 19, 2012, 12:14am UTC
I Like This and agree.
Pam Brittain Jun 19, 2012, 1:41pm UTC
I like this one.
Priscilla P. Jun 19, 2012, 2:11pm UTC
Amazing insightful--religion has caused more death and destruction in the history of the world than any other thing AND it is not getting any better.
It isn't the love of God or even belief that causes all this grief, but the danger lies in adherence to the "My religion is more significant than your religion" attitude that has fomented such hatred and intolerence throughout the past few centuries. It is sadly ironic that Christianity, which is founded on a gospel of love, is one of the worst offenders. It isn't the message that causes all the harm, but it is the result of joining a "group" that proclaims to have "the only" answer.
Pete S. Jun 19, 2012, 4:21pm UTC
If only it could be required that any belief, tenet, dogma, axiom, commandment, etc. of any religion which might impinge upon the activities, property, rights, or any other aspects of the lives of other members of society who are not believers in that religion be susceptible of legal proof. Merely saying, “Oh, it’s the word of God”, or “Look it’s in the Bible/Koran/Zend-Avesta/Pali Canon/Dianetics" won’t do; we will need a notarized statement from God, God’s copyright documentation, or at least God’s fingerprints on the original manuscript in order for anyone to tell anyone else what to do based on religion.
Needless to point out that we'd best not hold our collective breaths awaiting delivery of that particular document (but I'm doing it anyway). Even if any particular religion began with such an injunction, the lucrative pursuit of converts would insure any such document would be lost, buried, or destroyed--there's just too much money to be gained by organizing a group of people with like beliefs and/or dogmas. At least, that's what God tells me.
Priscilla P. Jun 20, 2012, 2:49pm UTC
Right ON!
Ann Marcaida Jun 27, 2012, 3:09pm UTC
Wow. Now featured at Examining Our Religion
Pete S. Jun 27, 2012, 3:26pm UTC
I read Weinberg's book The First Three Minutes in the early '80s, a few years after it was first published (1977). There have been new discoveries, changes in thinking, etc. since then but it is still an extraordinary work, and anyone interested in the Origin of Everything should read it. It is about what its title proclaims: the first three minutes after the Big Bang (although it does discuss much later developments, such as the creation of the elements stars, galaxies, etc.). He writes clearly and wittily; highly recommended.

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