TED Community » Joseph Ang

More About Me

I'm passionate about

I love natural science, programming and some theology; I believe in God.

Talk to me about

Religion, Science and some History.

People don't know that I'm good at

I'm good at basic linguistics, although I'm not an expert.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +0.30 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Talk: Garik Israelian: How spectroscopy could reveal alien life

  Feb 2 2013: To find life in another place of the universe is not undesirable at all for a religious point of view. There is no reason to change our beliefs if we found life in another place of the Universe, since our beliefs have philosophical and spiritual purposes.
  
  Our beliefs are focused on the human condition and purpose. Is there any other intelligent life? I don't know, but that doesn't affect our beliefs.

• A reply on Talk: Garik Israelian: How spectroscopy could reveal alien life

  Feb 2 2013: > The bible puts forth Earth as the center of the universe, and mankind as the center of all existance.
  
  That's not true, and you just prove your little understanding of hebrew and Christian beliefs.
  
  From a Biblical point of view, thw center of all existence is God and the heavens. Earth is just a creation of God, and humans are dust with life (yes, materialism in the Bible).
  
  > "Yeah, life forms not of this earth meaning angelic beings and spirits. Not creatures of matter as we understand them that lived on other planets."
  
  You are making sarcastic assumptions, which is very irrational.
  
  > There is no reason for God to have created life on a planet across the universe from us that we'll never interact with in any way.
  
  Well, there is no reason we know... yet. The question is open.
  
  > " My experience is that at some point, every person of faith has a double standard to which they shut logic out and fall back on faith or tradition. "
  
  Actually, every human being that ask questions has that "double standard", which is natural when we don't know everything.
  
  Maybe you don't have that problem because you know everything.

• A comment on Conversation: Can religion be a science?

  Jul 2 2012: Although some people don't accept it, science is based on axioms, and axioms are natural dogmas.
  
  However, the difference is that religious dogmas oriented to a spiritual perspetive of the world, while scientific axioms or dogmas are based on observation of simple and basic facts.
  
  I think these dogmas/axioms don't conflict with each other, since most religious dogmas don't attempt to be natural explanations, but blocks for a belief (instead an explanation). Personally, I don't see any conflict.

• A comment on Conversation: Can religion be a science?

  Jul 2 2012: The fact is that religion loose its mythological function. It is almost not used to explain the natural world anymore! And most monotheist holy texts don't attempt to be a science, and that's good because it leaves a huge space for believers to accept science and religion at the same time. However, religion has an important a spiritual function for believers that I think useful.
  
  Can it be a science? Well, not in the way we actually define science, but theology is basically a NON-empirical science based reason, but using religious axioms.
  
  (sorry for my english)
• +2

  A comment on Talk: Lesley Hazleton: On reading the Koran

  Jun 29 2012: WAW! I fall in love on her words. I am Christian, but I know now that Islam has an interesting theology and no so different from Christianity (in some ways, of course).
• +1

  A comment on Talk: Melinda Gates: Let's put birth control back on the agenda

  Jun 29 2012: I prefer birth control and education over any kind of abortion. I think abortion is a very radical "option" that we should not promote as birth control, except in some hard situation like rape, incest, complications or serious fetal defects.
  
  However, I don't think a teenager should have an abortion, since she choose to have sex and she knew the consequences. I think adoption is a better way.