Is skepticism a new religion?

Question

"the suppression of uncomfortable ideas may be common in religion and politics, but its not the path to knowlege, it has no place in the endeavour of science'

Carl Sagan Cosmos 1980

"we have to be guided by the facts; and if the facts seem incredible as they do- we have first of all to assure ourselves that they are facts, and then conclude that there is a department of knowlege to which we have yet not got the key"

Sir Oliver Lodge 1929

Answer 1

Skepticism was a philosophy and pseudo-religion in ancient greece. it's not new--it's older than Christianity.

Answer 2

skeptics have a battle going on inside themselves. They have trouble defining God. Once they figure God out for themselves they won't feel the need to be a hero and save all the rest of us from believing what we believe.

Answer 3

sort of...,back in time ,here's an example;In 1772 the prestigious French Academy of Science appointed a committee to investigate reports of what are now called meteorites. After long deliberations and examination of much evidence, the conclusion reached by the committee was that with which they started:" there are no such things as hot stones that have fallen from the sky because there are no stones in the sky to fall " (sounds familiar,huh?). Reports of the phenomena must have other explanations – delusionary “visions,” stones heated after being struck by lightning, stones borne aloft by whirlwinds or volcanic eruptions, and so forth. So great was the prestige of the committee and so convincing its arguments that museums all over Western Europe threw away their meteorite specimens.(as good as it gets...and still!)

Answer 4

No, it's not. It's just the acknowledgment that there needs be evidence for putting credence in any claim, that's all. It's a very reasonable and rationale thing. I'm all for new ideas. It's necessary for science to proceed.

Answer 5

A mind is like a parachute. It works much better when it's open.

Answer 6

I'd love to know how not believing in ghosts suppresses knowledge.You quote Carl Sagan who spoke out against superstition.That's pretty disrespectful.You know he would never agree with you..You are correct,we do have to be guided by the facts.When do you think some will be presented?I mean just one to back up all the silly nonsense.We're all waiting.

Answer 7

Well, in America, people have dumbed down so much that they only believe what they want to , regardless of the facts.

Answer 8

Skepticism and skeptics (link below) have a rightly deserved place in science.

Debunkers (or pseudoskeptics) are the ones that defend the traditional/conventional view of science (as they understand it) with religious faith.

Luckily there are scientist that wish to advance knowledge (where as religion is about spreading your beliefs) that created superstring theory, quantum mechanics, special and general relativity (all were met with skepticism).

I include amongst these ranks people that explored Near Death Experiences, Out of Body Experiences, PK, ESP, and Apparitions in attempt to better understand all of human experience (such is science).

So, yes when a person professes their beliefs "no evidence" and does not attempt to add to science (by suggesting better controls, suggesting better experiments or procedures or seek new theories to be tested that would qualify as an attempt to spread your faith (don't bother looking there is nothing there) and thus religion and not science.

Of course that's just my opinion.