Do you believe in miracles?

[ThisYouWillDo]

.

Refraction happens because light travels at different speeds through different media. If you want to know why THAT is then I suggest you take a course in optics.

I think that's how it happens, not why.

As for the uncaused cause, I have no idea what you're talking about.

Can science explain what caused the Big Bang: the uncaused cause (supposing there was one)? Or why?

Come to that, can science even explain what an atom, the fundamental building-block of matter is (supposing there are any)?

And I never said I don't think a rainbow is beautiful. On the contrary, I think they are quite amazing. As for why you think they are beautiful, it's probably because you were taught that they are. Beauty is a subjective matter, primarily.

Not if I was taught what beauty is, as you presume.

And it changes all the time. What we find beautiful today may be viewed as vulgar 10 or 20 years from now.

True, some beauty lasts for a long time. Music especially is enduring. Yet even that is subjective. Many people find opera to be exquisite, food for the soul. To me it is no better than fingernails scraping across a chalkboard. I enjoy the music! But you can keep the singing.

Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dfbZ...eature=related That is singing at its most sublime - although the recording quality's not great.

And the same can hold true for belief systems. Most people tend to believe what they were taught to believe. And they hold to those beliefs because they are comfortable, uncomplicated. Questioning them requires an effort which many people are not willing to put forth. Yes, some turn to other belief systems, some turn away from all of them completely. It is all subjective, different for everyone. And in that diversity there is true beauty.

You are confusing me where you say beauty is taught, but is subjective. Care to elaborate for me?

[Thorne]

Try this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dfbZ...eature=related That is singing at its most sublime - although the recording quality's not great.

Nope, sorry, I just don't appreciate it. The underlying music seems lovely, no question, when I can hear it through the vocalization. The singing just seems to grate on my nerves. Not all singing, though. I grew up listening to Julie Andrews (my mother loved her voice) so I "learned" to enjoy it. I'm not a big fan, but I can listen without wincing, usually. And choral works are generally enjoyable. The Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's Messiah, especially when performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, is outstanding. And as I said previously, some operatic music is enjoyable to me. Wagner's Overture to Tannhäuser is a particular favorite.

You are confusing me where you say beauty is taught, but is subjective. Care to elaborate for me?

By subjective I mean that it is entirely dependent upon the viewer, or listener. There is no hard and fast rule about what is or is not beautiful. There may be things that are commonly thought of as beautiful, especially in a cultural sense. But these things may not be considered beautiful in a different culture.
That being said, you can be taught to appreciate something which someone else believes is beautiful, and even come to believe it yourself. When I was growing up in the 60's the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan and many others were very popular among my peers. Classical music was generally frowned upon, even ridiculed by some. But I grew up listening to classical music, and I still enjoy it to this day. Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin, most of the great composers, are always enjoyable. Even some of the modern composers: Williams, Zimmer, those who write orchestral pieces. This is basically a "learned" appreciation. But it is still subjective.