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Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 5:05 am
I have reading this article on Jerry Coyne's blog discussing an article published on the Biologos site. Biologos is an evangelical christian organisation which advocates "theistic evolution". The biologos article reported that about half of all scientists working in "elite" US universities were non-religious, compared to 14% of the general population. Also that only 4% of scientists were evangelical Christians compared to 28% of the population.
The link to the articles is below
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/...des-belief
http://biologos.org/blog/are-you-there-g...nfographic
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 6:23 am
Because knowledge and superstition don't go very well together. And knowledge usually wins.
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 7:30 am
People who beleive in nonsense are more likely to reject empirical evidence in favor of their cherry-picked holy books. Scientists are more likely to reject the unevidenced in favor of their search for truth in various fields.
Finding someone religious who can reconcile the truth with their fiction are rare, due to the necessary mental contortions.
My conclusion is that there is no reason to believe any of the dogmas of traditional theology and, further, that there is no reason to wish that they were true.
Man, in so far as he is not subject to natural forces, is free to work out his own destiny. The responsibility is his, and so is the opportunity.
-Bertrand Russell
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 8:23 am
Maybe because there are better career opportunities for clever evangelicals in such lucrative markets as "bilking the gullible" and "evading tax authorities"?
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 9:35 am
(June 30, 2012 at 6:23 am)Darwinian Wrote: Because knowledge and superstition don't go very well together. And knowledge usually wins.
At least nowadays. One of the benefits of the media.
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 10:58 am
(June 30, 2012 at 5:05 am)Justtristo Wrote: I have reading this article on Jerry Coyne's blog discussing an article published on the Biologos site. Biologos is an evangelical christian organisation which advocates "theistic evolution". The biologos article reported that about half of all scientists working in "elite" US universities were non-religious, compared to 14% of the general population. Also that only 4% of scientists were evangelical Christians compared to 28% of the population.
The link to the articles is below
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/...des-belief
http://biologos.org/blog/are-you-there-g...nfographic
Probably because inorder for one to be considered a legit 'scientist' one must renounce God. Otherwise one's efforts in the field of science are quickly dissmiss on general principle and the theist/scientist is not counted as a 'true scotsman.' I mean scientist, and therefore are omitted from poles like the ones you referenced.
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 11:11 am
(This post was last modified: June 30, 2012 at 11:13 am by Epimethean.)
Uh, no. In order to be considered a legit scientist, one must work on evidence-or at least things for which there is hope of finding evidence. It has nothing to do with renouncing gods and everything to do with admitting that there is no evidence for such.
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 11:43 am
Quote:Probably because inorder for one to be considered a legit 'scientist' one must renounce God.
I see you are still dumb as a rock, Drippy.
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 11:56 am
(This post was last modified: June 30, 2012 at 12:12 pm by Simon Moon.)
(June 30, 2012 at 10:58 am)Drich Wrote: Probably because inorder for one to be considered a legit 'scientist' one must renounce God. Otherwise one's efforts in the field of science are quickly dissmiss on general principle and the theist/scientist is not counted as a 'true scotsman.' I mean scientist, and therefore are omitted from poles like the ones you referenced.
What a load of rubbish.
To be considered a legit scientist one must perform science.
Science entails going where the evidence leads, no matter what. Most theists are unable to do this because they already have their 'answers' in place. Then they try to get the evidence to fit their existing 'answers (or they ignore or twist the evidence). That is NOT science.
There is a scientist named Kurt P. Wise, who gave up a promising career in Geology because he could not reconcile the evidence with a literal reading of the Bible and as he said "if all the evidence in the universe turned against creationism, I would be the first to admit it, but I would still be a creationist because that is what the Word of God seems to indicate."
He was unable to do science because he was unable to go where the evidence took him.
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
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RE: Why are there so few Christians in Science?
June 30, 2012 at 8:12 pm
(June 30, 2012 at 11:56 am)Simon Moon Wrote: There is a scientist named Kurt P. Wise, who gave up a promising career in Geology because he could not reconcile the evidence with a literal reading of the Bible and as he said "if all the evidence in the universe turned against creationism, I would be the first to admit it, but I would still be a creationist because that is what the Word of God seems to indicate."
He was unable to do science because he was unable to go where the evidence took him.
I am quoting that for my signature
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