Is the “God Particle” the link between science and religion?

[Nasty Jack]

It probably depends on your relationship with God, and just how important the creationist theory is in your faith. Beyond that, there is the belief in Christ that is necessary to be a true Christian. Further, religious fundamentalism is an organized, militant Evangelical movement insisting on the inerrancy of Scripture. Even more complicated is the term, “Rapture,” which is shared by many fundamentalists to explain the second coming of Christ.

So have you heard of the Higgs boson discovery, better known as the “God Particle,” without which, scientists tell us, there would be no life in the universe. Fundamentalists and Southern Baptists will no doubt have a big problem with this in relation to the creationist theory. But many will say this doesn’t matter as long as you stick to your beliefs, and there are always those who search, even demand, that we discover the secret to creation and salvation.

An Agnostic might say this is what I have been telling you all along. Since this group does believe in a God of sorts, because they can’t comprehend of a universe this complex without a creative entity, Higgs boson could be the answer to many questions. Supposition might go something like this: a deity created the “God Particle” and science took it from there in the form of the evolution of man. The term “evolution” could even take on a more positive approach in religion.

There is a huge chasm between ideology like the God Particle and passionate religious beliefs, but his new finding will probably never completely replace evolution. Or will it?

[ret5hd]

1. The misconceptions here are very strong.

[Nasty Jack]

2. Explain

Would you care to explain that?

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. Here are a couple of my thoughts

The term "the God particle" doesn't mean what one is likely to think, based on that name. In fact, it was a joke to the scientist who coined the term. Leaping from that term to something about spirituality is really quite a leap.

"the 'God Particle,' without which, scientists tell us, there would be no life in the universe": My understanding is that the particle makes mass, not life, possible. In fact, I guess that that indirectly means that it makes life possible but there is no direct connection there. It would be more accurate to say that the particle makes stars, planets, asteroids, flying clumps of rock and ice, and swirling galactic dust clouds possible. Basically anything in the universe that depends on gravity, which operates on mass, would be impossible without it since there would be no mass.

I haven't kept up with physics over the years, so I'm not real clear about a lot about the Higgs boson, but I seriously doubt that it has anything at all to do with creationism or evolution, other than to the extent and in the manner that gravity has to do with those things.

In my experience and opinion, some scientists such as Fritjof (sp?) Capra, Russell Targ, and others speak sensibly about connections between science and spirituality, but usually when non-scientifically literate people try to connect science and spirituality, they most often just reveal their ignorance of science and say rather laughable stuff that gives scientists chuckles.

[Nasty Jack]

7. Good thoughts

I have had several comments re. the use of the term, the God Particle, and most get very specific scientifically as you have. My thought is that when any person (Higgs) or scientific team talk about the beginnings of the universe, someone will likely attach a term that, if it isn't the word God itself, it will be very similar in meaning. Simply put, people connect this genesis with a God of sorts, not necessarily Christian but could be from any faith.

And you are right. Those of us who aren't scientifically minded should write about what we know, only quoting from those who do.

[Jeffersons Ghost]

18. Here is some history on "Rapture" to create more good thoughts...

The concept of "Rapture" was presented, by Darby, long after Jesus died. The most accurate translation of The Bible from ancient Greek is also attributed to this linguist.

The Darby Bible (DBY, formal title The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation from the Original Languages by J. N. Darby) refers to the Bible as translated from Hebrew and Greek by John Nelson Darby. Darby published a translation of the New Testament in 1867 CE, with revised editions in 1872 and 1884.

In this - most accurate translation - Genesis repeatedly ascribes the plural name Elohim to the Divine Creator. Does this name imply both sexes comprise the Ultimate Creator?

[Phillip McCleod]

3. nope

that was easy.

next?

[westerebus]

4. From what I understand, Higgs was not looking for god.

The Higg's boson was what he calculated would be discovered if in fact a-his math was right and b- there was a way to observe sub atomic particles that were on such a small scale. Has nothing to do with creation in the religious sense as it does not answer that question.

[CanSocDem]

5. Maybe...

...science is desperate to assert its' authority and is not above using the christian analysis of the nature of reality to characterize its' position. Whether they believe in evolution or not, the church still believes in a materialistic world where everything is physical and subject to the 'rules of physics'.

Now, "I'm no scientist, but...", it seems to me they are searching for an explanation of why, when observed under a microscope, physical objects appear to be nothing more than 'particles' floating in space. Dark Matter would be more of these, still unseen particles, that make the object solid...and subject to the accepted laws of science and the authority of the church.

.

[Anonymousecoview]

8. Very interesting - does the Creator hold it all together?

I believe so...
The One who Created it all also holds it all together...
Its like the human who voluntarily walks in the fresh air and involuntarily inhales and exhales that same fresh air.
The Creator voluntarily created it all, and perhaps involuntarily moves through living systems and molecular energy.
The God Particle is something we cannot see, nor do we see directly the Creator; but the effects are there of both the God Particle and the Creator - and perhaps they are one and the same, just like our involuntary breath is a sign of life in our own body - the Creator's life is manifested in one way through the God Particle.

[mmonk]

9. Some would say magnetic fields, one strong and one weak.

[libodem]

10. Science is God

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2013, 05:49 PM - Edit history (1)

It's just nobody ever figured that out, yet.

[CJCRANE]

11. The name comes from an abbreviation. Apparently it was known as that "God Damn Particle"

because no one could find it.

However, that wasn't considered appropriate for the title of the book about it, so it was shortened to the "God Particle".

(IIRC I heard this in a radio interview with the author).

[DeSwiss]

12. Here's the more relevant question:

- If there are 11 dimensions as Einstein postulated, how is it that we think we can understand the universe and how it works (including theorizing the existence of God particles), when we can barely understand the dimension we live in?

[center][/center]

[libodem]

13. .

[img][/img]

[mmonk]

14. We are a way the universe can observe itself.

[libodem]

15. Happy Sunday Morning

We are in the church of what's happening now!

[mmonk]

16. Yep.

[Peace_maker]

17. I found the God Particle

Last edited Tue Mar 24, 2015, 10:09 PM - Edit history (2)

Started turning our garden beds and got some dirt on my feet

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If you want to be successful you must respect one rule
-------------- NEVER LIE TO YOURSELF -----------------
- Paulo Coelho

[LWolf]

19. To be honest,

I'm a bit confused about your post.

You seem to be holding the Higgs particle up to organized religion to see if it will fit, or change the anti-science nature of some.

"Seekers on Unique Paths" may not subscribe to any organized religion and agnostics may not be undecided about the "God" in organized religion, but about the existence of anything beyond what science reveals. It's a bigger world.

I don't think the Higgs particle is going to replace evolution. And faiths, and their faithful, that are not totally committed to the black and white dogma of literality already think evolution can fit into "God's" plan.