'Clean behind yourself :( '. I have just walked past the toilet on my corridor to catch a glimpse of the aforesaid quote on an angry yellow post-it. Presumably, the foreign author, was suggesting that the previous inhabitant of that toilet cubicle should have cleaned up their skiddies after them self with the thoughtfully-provided bog brush, or, maybe they were confronted with a vision of toddler-reminiscent hilarity: a dirtied bottom in the air, debilitated face and desperate need for assistance. Talk about 'lost in translation', although in my case, maybe it's just 'lost in imagination'...
This week has been so busy that my weekend was a haven of welcome inactivity: well almost, Friday night saw some epic and rather excessive baking (carrot cake cupcakes, hazelnut and would-be-beetroot-had-there-been-any-so-instead-we-used-pumpkin-and-it-worked-really-well cupcakes, upside down Canadian pineapple cake and chocolate brownie mess) with some of the ladies from church along with some uni pals; the latter who were excited to get near an oven - an apparent rarity in this nation, that seems to prefer fried to baked goods. I'd feel bad for packing away so much cake, were it not for the fact that it all tasted YUM and that I've been rowing 3 times this week!!! Already I am feeling more energetic and toned, although after every power-pumping session I am faced with a dilemma... In addition to the slightly awkward absence of conversation (I am still lacking in the Dutch language department) between the boat and the changing rooms, upon entrance to the changing room I am confronted with lots of unashamedly naked bodies. Nothing is better after exercise than a refreshing soak in the shower, but with no divisions and an open plan shower arrangement fit for testosterone-fueled rugby lads, I really don't fancy it all of a sudden. Is it strange that I don't want whip my kit off and get stark naked in front of Leiden's rowing lasses? I don't even know why it is, sure there a some magazine worthy bodies, but also some wobblies and I don't have self-esteem issues with my physique, or at least I didn't think I did ... I could easily go topless without much consequence, but baring my bottom and other lady bit scares me silly. So instead I trade in my shyness and desire to keep my privates private, for a reputation as the girl who doesn't shower (For your information readers I do shower when I get home).
'science is the only path to understanding'
'religion is based on rapturous embracing of the bizarre'
'[the afterlife] proves to be a potent source of inspiration and reward for those who wish to kill in religion's name or merely satisfy their blood-lust'
The quotes above agitated me earlier as I was doing my reading for tomorrow's seminar on Philosophy of Religion and the Natural Sciences. Is it just me, or is religion often attacked on the basis of being dogmatic and intolerant and yet that's exactly what these statements convey to me. It's a bit of asymmetrical injustice. Religious people are not allowed to be narrow-minded. But are atheists? My study at Leiden has already activated a bee I've had in my bonnet for a while now; why does 'science' (or rather certain scientists, as no-one can claim to represent the position of global science as if it was an internally-coherent entity, there is of course much dispute within the field) claim objective grounds to absolute and unquestionable authority on knowledge? I think scientists, like the one who authored the quotes above have as their motivation a desire for truth, so I think they could do with being a little more cautious before discarding age-old traditions of knowledge-acquisition and keep an open mind. It looks like he's a bit angry at religion (and rightly so, it has been the cause of much evil, but then so has science -the word 'nuclear' comes to mind). Another thing I pondered as I was reading, was that he argues that science can be trusted as a way of knowing about the world as it is open to public testing, whereas religion cannot. But then in the context of his discussion, in which he was ridiculing religious people for bringing God into accounts of the universe's origin, it occurred to me that I for one could not test the accounts that certain scientists give us, as I am not expert enough to understand and assess in any significant depth their arguments, nor do I have direct access to the data or methods that cosmologists and theoretical physicists uses to reach their conclusions and hypotheses. I suspect that much of the growing crowd today that revere the works of Dawkins and others, don't have this knowledge either, and yet take regardless what they say as gospel truth with one open hand, whilst clenching a tight fist at the supernatural, the extra-physical or the God-explanation, for fear that such an account is not verifiable. If personal testifiability is the requirement for accepting something as a means for knowledge, then it seems to me, that for most of us mere mortals, neither science, nor religion can be appealed to. Maybe, it could be argued, that some people at least (these certain scientists) could access the empirical facts, but then if this can be granted and we are going to trust their reports even though we cannot test them, should we not also treat some religious people with the same degree of respect in granting that they might really have received revelation? Of course, one could argue, that this is a foul move, for potentially we could all become expert enough to check what the certain scientists are claiming. But then if we are now entering the realm of potential, we could all potentially receive revelation from God. I'm not 100% sure that my argument is valid, but I'm curious to know if we should give up our claims to opinions on such matters until we can reach the level of expertise required to have a stab at the 'hows' and 'whys' of the origin of everything; or at least not bully the person of faith out of the debate with verifiability demands? Just a thought.
Whilst I might from time to time reflect on what I am studying, fear not this blog is not about to become a philosophical springboard for my gymnastic mind. I will resume with my Dutch exploits next time ...
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