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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.'"
"Very few Christians believe much of the Old Testament."
Huh? The OT is part of the bible and is part of the basis of Christianity. Being a Christian REQUIRES one to believe the OT.
If you mean that the fundamentalists are the only Christians that attempt to practice their religion consistent with its teachings, then yes. Most Christians are the cafeteria type.
"Applying scientific rigor to religious faith generally doesn't work."
Actually it works very well. But those with faith really dislike being shown faith is based on faulty logic. And make life miserable for those who point out those facts. Considering the fact that atheists are considered militant for merely not believing in a god, is it an wonder why a scientist would avoid a religious discussion? Especially if it was not related to their research or when it would most likely hurt their research.
Science appeals to people who search for truth, and traditionally so has religion.
Why do you assume that those who follow religion have the slightest interest in the truth? If they did they would have to, in practice, acknowledge the possibility that their religion is a bunch of made up nonsense. They would be de-facto agnostics. You cannot search for "truth" while deciding what the truth is ahead of time. Go into any church and inform the congregation that they have to give up their ideas about god so that they can search for the truth. Let me know how that works out for you.