Quora: Is Religion a problem for Science?

Someone recently asked the question "Is religion a problem for science?" on Quora - this was my answer....

To be honest, there are a few ways to address or interpret this question, so I’ll do the best that I can.

Governor Pence Criminalized Gay Marriage Applications

A few days ago I post the following image on Facebook:

A friend of mine asked for more information on this since this isn't a topic frequently discussed. In response I decided to write this review of the law's actual text so that everyone could see HOW the State of Indiana's Legislature and Governor Pence made gay couples APPLYING for Marriage Licenses criminals.

Indiana HB 1041 isk the law the image refers to. It's wording is very complicated and the bill's language jumps around a lot (plus it has been heavily edited and has had multiple sections repealed) so it is honestly hard to follow. In order for the information to make sense I will have to jump around and connect different passages from the bill together. The bill was signed in 2013 by Governor Pence who was elected to office in 2012.

LDS Resignation Update

Not long ago I published my official resignation letter to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Yesterday I received my reply from the Church's Office of Confidential Records and today I responded back. You are more than welcome to read the entire discussion and I hope that my efforts will be of some use to you.

Just so we're clear, I have actually been able to use e-mail for almost this entire process. If anyone wants to resign their membership with the LDS Church but doesn't want to use a stamp you can use this e-mail address: msr-confrec@ldschurch.org

I received the response to my resignation letter via postal mail though so if you want to keep digital records of everything you'll probably need to use an app like Tiny Scanner to take a photo of the letter and turn into a PDF which you can then e-mail to yourself and anyone else.

If you're playing catch up with me or just haven't read my official resignation letter you can read it HERE.

LDS Response:

United Nations Betray Jewish Faith's Holy Sites

Regarding the rights of the Jews' claims to Jerusalem and their ancient lands: War and Conquest by nature do not only kill people, they remove the rights of human beings. If anyone values the work done by groups like the Red Cross (which tries to restore human dignity) then you have no valid reason to deny people the dignities they had before being killed and conquered. Israel is the ancestral home of the Jewish people and the Jewish religion, a home that they were violently forced from.

The actual history of the land is far more complicated than many are saying.There was in fact a forced Diaspora, it is not revisionist history.

The Tennessee Bible

The text of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is probably the most frequently quoted and misused text in America.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..."

That is all the 1st Amendment has to say about religion. Creating a law to place any one Holy Book of any religion as an official government record (of any kind) is a violation of the Amendment as stated. The Governments of the United States are not allowed to hinder the actual worship within any religion but they are also not allowed to formally endorse any specific religion. Having the Holy Bible as the OFFICIAL STATE BOOK of any U.S. government has the effect of an endorsement of that branch of Christianity which favors that particular translation. So not only would this law set Christians as superior above all other world religions but it would also set certain Christian sects above the others.

I pray that the Governor vetoes this bill and that God forgives the people for violating their principles and oaths.

It could become the first state to do so.

Posted by NBC News on Tuesday, April 5, 2016