Slashdot Mirror
What Scientists Really Think About Religion
Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Post has a book review of Science and Religion: What Scientists Really Think by Rice University sociologist Elaine Ecklund, who spent four years doing a detailed survey of 1,646 scientists at elite American research universities. The study reveals that scientists often practice a closeted faith, worrying about how their peers would react to learning about their religious views. 'After four years of research, at least one thing became clear: Much of what we believe about the faith lives of elite scientists is wrong. The '"insurmountable hostility" between science and religion is a caricature, a thought-cliche, perhaps useful as a satire on groupthink, but hardly representative of reality,' writes Ecklund. Unsurprisingly, Ecklund found that 64% of scientists are either atheists (34%) or agnostic (30%). But only five of the 275 in-depth interviewees actively oppose religion; and even among the third who are atheists, many consider themselves 'spiritual.' 'According to the scientists I interviewed, the academy seems to have a "strong culture" that suppresses discussion about religion in many areas,' says Ecklund. 'To remove the perceived stigma, we would need to have more scientists talking openly about issues of religion, where such issues are particularly relevant to their discipline.'"
"Why focus on fervently opposing religion when there are so many more interesting scientific things to do?"
Because religion opposes freedom, replacing it with submission to the dictates of humans who claim their insight comes from their imaginary friends.
Religion can be weak, but at the core it is all "Taliban", an excuse for utter savagery and for resistance to knowledge. The only people who defend religion are the religious. That's part of being brainwashed.
There is no middle ground. There is no reason to pretend otherwise except to deceive religionists to save yourself from their wrath. Their ideology justifies any conduct to route around their insane belief system, which is why politicians manipulate these simpletons rather than argue with them.
"This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
Most scientists at elite universities don't actively oppose religion. But almost every "modded up" post on slashdot strongly opposes and is actively hostile to religion. I wonder what that says about the slashdot crowd?