Question about the LHC and Christianity

Duddy

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2002
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CERN is conducting experiments to determine the existence of our universe and/or multiple universes.

If your christian, do you believe this to be a challenge to God (like the Tower of Babel)? And if so, would he intervene?
 
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Duddy

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2002
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Correct me if I'm wrong too. I don't mean to overstate the importance of the Higgs Boson.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
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Just observing the exact weight of the H-B will cause a quantum effect that will shrink the Earth down to the size of a pea.

They need to shut down the LHC before it's too late!

Yo way yo Hom Var Ray ...
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
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You have the wrong concept. In this case they know the particle is there, but had no way of seeing it. Just because we know its there doesn't mean we can manipulate it.
 

Duddy

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2002
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You have the wrong concept. In this case they know the particle is there, but had no way of seeing it. Just because we know its there doesn't mean we can manipulate it.

I figured that. I changed my post to better reflect my actual question.
 

RESmonkey

Diamond Member
May 6, 2007
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lol wat

First off, this particle was originally meant to be called "Goddamn particle" by some fellow name Higgs. Doesn't have anything to do with your biblical god. Please, get that straight.
This misconception makes idiot religious people assume scientists are playing god (whatever that means).


Now, it's just a particle. Manipulate to create something from nothing? No. It would just help strengthen one of the theories.
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
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Higgs Boson supposedly is what gives mass and gravity to particles, as I understand it, not what created the universe.

I'm a Christian and as long as they are conducting safe and moral (or "amoral" would be better word) experiments, I have no problem. The LHC and other particle colliders are relatively safe, so no reason for me to complain.

Let's just hope they don't cause a resonance cascade :p

Also, if you are a Christian, I think you have a warped view of God if you think man can create something from nothing. Best we can do is play around with what exists. If God was afraid of man becoming greater than Him, He wouldn't be God, He would be some lesser power not worth of worship, akin to the wizard of Oz.
 
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RESmonkey

Diamond Member
May 6, 2007
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To address your edited post, OP, how would this challenge god? It's just a particle that has no relation to 'god.' The name is shortened from goddamn or goddamned particle.
 

Cattlegod

Diamond Member
May 22, 2001
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any updates to the LHC runs over the weekend? They were supposed to break a record or something, but they don't have any news on the website.
 

Gibsons

Lifer
Aug 14, 2001
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To address your edited post, OP, how would this challenge god? It's just a particle that has no relation to 'god.' The name is shortened from goddamn or goddamned particle.

This. I don't see a connection between a nickname and religion.

Besides, Lemmy is God.
 

Duddy

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2002
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To address your edited post, OP, how would this challenge god? It's just a particle that has no relation to 'god.' The name is shortened from goddamn or goddamned particle.

Well I'm sure that they are not going to do experiments that only strengthen current theories. I would hope that they would push to discover new theories not yet thought of.
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
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Multiple universes (edited OP?)? I don't think that's their goal at CERN, though I'm guessing they wouldn't mind discovering alternate worlds (who wouldn't :p).

And no, this isn't akin to Babel, because the leadership at CERN isn't looking to break their way into heaven (wasn't that the plot of His Dark Materials? I digress...), they just want to discover more about how the universe fundamentally works. There's nothing inherently evil or good about knowledge of how the universe works, and indeed our entire existence on earth is mostly focused on more and better ways to adapt our environment to suit our needs.

Babel was about getting glory for man and the futile thought that they could become greater than God, and it was their stated agenda. CERN is about discovery, not about man becoming greater than God.
 
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Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
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Nope, doesn't challenge my view of God at all. God may be the creator, but that doesn't mean knowing how he did the creation makes him any less important.

You may learn all about the science of how you were born, but that doesn't mean you love your parents any less.


I don't think humanity can ever truly understand creation. We have one flaw that will always hold us back, our thinking is that everything has to come from something. We are not capable of accepting that something just is.
 
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Duddy

Diamond Member
Jul 22, 2002
4,677
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Nope, doesn't challenge my view of God at all. God may be the creator, but that doesn't mean knowing how he did the creation makes him any less important.

You may learn all about the science of how you were born, but that doesn't mean you love your parents any less.

/thread

Thanks!
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
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Somehow this thread strangely feels like a set up Yahoo! Answers question...
 

RESmonkey

Diamond Member
May 6, 2007
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Well I'm sure that they are not going to do experiments that only strengthen current theories. I would hope that they would push to discover new theories not yet thought of.

That's science...get a theory, test it, if it fails, adjust for the failure or come up with a new theory, try testing again, etc.

Religion, on the other hand, is ...
 

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
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What are you implying? Scientists don't do that. You adjust your theory, or you come up with a new one. You don't force anything.

Well, bad scientists make the data fit. It's called fraud, though, and usually they are caught.

True science doesn't allow for editing the data.