-Caveat Lector- Ric Carter <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > -Caveat Lector- > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Robert Tatman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > CobolMage <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > from: AMERICAN ATHEISTS > > > > GOD AND THE SCIENTISTS: A NEW DEBATE, AN OLD QUESTION > > > > > Atheism/"secular humanism"/agnosticism (the dividing lines are > > often rather vague) constitutes a sort of dogma for many prominent > > scientists...so much so that for a scientist to be accepted by > > his/her peers, s/he must publicly disavow "organized religion"-- > > a process closely akin to the old loyalty oath. > > Do you have any evidence to back up this contention? I ask because > the scientists I personally know best - a physicist and a geologist > [both public university professors] and a botanist and an orbital > systems researcher [both employed by corporations] are all non- > doctrinaire mainline Protestant churchgoers. None has suffered > at the hands of their peers that I know of - two are department > heads - they work, they publish, they're accorded professional > respect, and they neither vociferously include nor exclude their > beliefs from their work. Indeed, I'm told that the field of > petroleum geology attracts a number of fundy jeezoids, who manage > to stay employed despite the rather sharp division between a > literal interpretation of Genesis and modern geophysics. IMHO, > the notion that the "perfect scientist" is an atheist, is just > another myth, or is a best a drastic oversimplification of > attitudes in US, western and worldwide scientific communities. > Sorry, should have been a little more explicit. However, Ric, let me ask how many of your scientist acquaintances are prominent in their fields? Yes, I know a lot of scientists who are quite devout. I also note that those scientists who rise to the top of the profession...and this may have more to do with public perception than with scholarship...tend to be at best agnostic. Some of the most prominent public spokespersons for assorted disciplines, such as the late Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov, Stephen Jay Gould, and (I *think*) Stephen Hawking, are or were strongly atheistic. It's my impression that for a scientist to achieve "superstar" rank, s/he has to reject anything that smacks of orthodox religion. New Age or otherwise heterodox views (e.g., some form of Buddhism) are acceptable; orthodoxy is not; and atheism appears to be preferable. ================================= Robert F. Tatman [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Remove "nospam" from the address to reply. NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml POSTING THIS MESSAGE TO THE INTERNET DOES NOT IMPLY PERMISSION TO SEND UNSOLICITED COMMERCIAL E-MAIL (SPAM) TO THIS OR ANY OTHER INTERNET ADDRESS. RECEIPT OF SPAM WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE NOTIFICATION OF THE SENDER'S ISP. ____________________________________________________________________ Get your own FREE, personal Netscape WebMail account today at http://webmail.netscape.com. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
