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[–]Braskebom 11 points12 points ago

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I think most scholars actually reject the term "dark ages" and don't think it has had much effect on advancement at all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Ages_(historiography)

[–]karstark 9 points10 points ago

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I also thought that the church was credited with being one of the only institutions during that time that was a stable influence that ended up helping people, and most of the only literate people left at the time where monks etc.

[–]ChimpsRFullOfScience 4 points5 points ago

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Yeah... perhaps most galling, though, is the implied measurement of 'scientific progress' with a single number of the Y-axis of that graph.

[–]whiteknight521 5 points6 points ago

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Without religion our knowledge could likely be half of what it is now, and most renaissance art would not exist. Sometimes the human mind can make beautiful things when it believes in fairy tales. If we can be inspired by the stories of our ancestors, and this inspiration leads us to do great things, then it does not harm us. When we let these stories dictate policy, take them as fact, and use them to justify mistreatment of others, we have a problem.

[–]miksedene 7 points8 points ago

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Please explain exactly how you quantify scientific advancement?

I'm seriously unconvinced that you could do it in such a way to present a graph like that.

[–]chuckquizmo 0 points1 point ago

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Yeah, I was just trying to search for a better graph, that's the only one I can find though. That graph is about as factual as someone's opinion without any reference.

[–]Vitalstatistix 2 points3 points ago

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This one is just stupidly ignorant.

[–]absentmindedjwc 4 points5 points ago

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Thanks a lot, asshole. Now I am hungry. :(

[–]Hrob270 1 point2 points ago

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The 9/11 pic really hit home, I love it.

[–]wasniahC 1 point2 points ago

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The 9/11 picture shouldn't. The attack was mostly done for political motivations, not religious. :\

[–]hamjim 2 points3 points ago

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I call BS. It was political only in that their politics is controlled by their religion.

And while I'm here, the other side looks at the same photo, notes an effect of lens flare, and goes gaga over the "cross" "proving" which religion is "true." Even more BS ensues.

[–]wasniahC 1 point2 points ago

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I'm not sure what you're on about at all with that 2nd part, but ok.

More importantly I guess, Osama's letter to America stated this happened "because you attacked us and continue to attack us". Whether their politics are controlled by their religion, whether or not they are religious, this was not simply done because of a difference in religion. Calling BS doesn't make it BS.

[–]philter451 -1 points0 points ago

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If you think that Osama helped orchestrate an attack on us because of purely religious motivations you really need to look at the history between him and the US especially during the attempted Russian occupation of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan got dicked over by the US real hard and thus an anti-western terrorist is born. I would say he was a terrorist who happened to be Islamic.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points ago

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That last one made me laugh. My Roman catholic mam has called me a sheep for being an atheist before. This would be in a country where 87% of the population are Roman Catholic, and 4% have no religion.

[–][deleted] ago

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[deleted]

[–]akaZilong 1 point2 points ago

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Hmmm. Chinese food

[–]Spudface 1 point2 points ago

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I love the scientific advancement one, damn you religion! I always wanted to explore the galaxy :(

[–]Tattycakes 5 points6 points ago

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But how accurate is it? What kind of criteria is the scientific advancement measured on?

[–]digitaljeff51 0 points1 point ago

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ive seen the mcdonalds one for years and i just now noticed the fries in their hands

[–]360walkaway 0 points1 point ago

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I don't get the baby burger one.

[–]ketamin 0 points1 point ago

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Religion: They're basically like this

And like this

[–]pang0lin 0 points1 point ago

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I like the cleaner version of the first one: Here

[–]ididntwantausername 0 points1 point ago

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[–]Stephiek 0 points1 point ago

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Thanks for this :)