Considering how large the creationist movement has become, I'm honestly not surprised that several scientists would speak out. Still, the scientists I generally read stick to the facts, and rarely speak anything of religion, other than perhaps to state they do not claim to know.
I can only think of one scientist of the top of my head who vehemently speaks out against religion, and that's Dawkins, of whose books I've never read.
As far as "separation of science and state", that is a stance I must admit I do not understand. Politicians definitely should have some understanding of science, and how choices will affect the economy, natural resources, the environment, and so on. If anything, politics needs more science, more making choices based upon the evidence and facts, and less making choices simply on "gut feeling" or personal agendas.
I've read some of Dawkins' books, and when he is sticking to Science, they can be pretty good. "The Blind Watchmaker" was a good introduction for me many years ago to the idea of creation without a God that constantly meddles with creation. I'm not an Atheist by any stretch of the imagination, being a Pagan turned Christian. I think religion should be about strengthening our relationship with the divine and each other, not an attempt to explain things in a way alternative to science. I'm just as much as odds with Creationists as I am with the New Atheists.
As far as your remarks about the lack of interest in Science, it is sad in a way. Perhaps though most people are comfortable enough with science to trust that it's working to solve problems. People may find science, math and engineering boring, but that doesn't stop them from running out and buying the newest goodies based on these disciples!
I admit that I am an atheist myself, but I definitely find beauty in certain religion practices, a personal sense of metaphor, poetry, mythology, and even dance, all of which appeals greatly to my artistic nature. I definitely do not think that atheism and spirituality need to be exclusive
( ... )
It's alright; I know how busy things can get! This past year, I've been busy forming a new, better life, and while I definitely miss you and others, I am definitely in a much, much happier place now.
*hugs tight* I really hope I get a chance to see you again sometime.
stange. I can beat that though. :-) Yesterday I walked a mile to a barnes & noble I discovered and visited last year in this area. I walked through the doors and stopped dumbfounded, I was standing on cement in a large empty room, alone. They had moved out apparently and the doors were strangely unlocked.
That said, I think the fundamental reason for this is that people want easy answers, and science doesn't necessarily give any. You may well end up with no answers at all, or with answers that lead to more questions (and quite likely more difficult, puzzling questions); answers may also be incomplete, difficult to understand, counter-intuitive or at odds with common sense, and take a long time to come up with, and - finally - simply be unsatisfactory.
So when faced with the choice between inconvenient truths and comfortable lies, people turn to the latter.
All this is very true. For those, I'd definitely recommend starting with Hawkings, as I find his work is very approachable to the layman. But you're right, many people do want easy answers....
In my case, at least, that the answers seem to constantly lead to more questions is one of the things that I find fascinating, and actually keeps me interested.
I'm the same way, at least when it comes to questions I'm asking out of curiosity.
I think many people (and I'm no exception) also ask questions out of a desire or need to find meaning; to them, the idea that we're essentially just a random thing happening in a universe that's much larger and older than humanity, one that is, for the most part, a very hostile place (as far as living conditions are concerned), one where humans have no significance whatsoever on a universal scale, and one which is not even guided by any sort of intelligence and which has no purpose, no direction and (ultimately) no meaning - to them, that idea is very scary, and they shy away from it and try to convince themselves that all this isn't actually true, that there is more to the universe, that humans are special, and that there is meaning.
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I can only think of one scientist of the top of my head who vehemently speaks out against religion, and that's Dawkins, of whose books I've never read.
As far as "separation of science and state", that is a stance I must admit I do not understand. Politicians definitely should have some understanding of science, and how choices will affect the economy, natural resources, the environment, and so on. If anything, politics needs more science, more making choices based upon the evidence and facts, and less making choices simply on "gut feeling" or personal agendas.
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As far as your remarks about the lack of interest in Science, it is sad in a way. Perhaps though most people are comfortable enough with science to trust that it's working to solve problems. People may find science, math and engineering boring, but that doesn't stop them from running out and buying the newest goodies based on these disciples!
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*hugs tight* I really hope I get a chance to see you again sometime.
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Yesterday I walked a mile to a barnes & noble I discovered and visited last year in this area. I walked through the doors and stopped dumbfounded, I was standing on cement in a large empty room, alone. They had moved out apparently and the doors were strangely unlocked.
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Though I admit, I do like exploring abandoned places. ;)
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That said, I think the fundamental reason for this is that people want easy answers, and science doesn't necessarily give any. You may well end up with no answers at all, or with answers that lead to more questions (and quite likely more difficult, puzzling questions); answers may also be incomplete, difficult to understand, counter-intuitive or at odds with common sense, and take a long time to come up with, and - finally - simply be unsatisfactory.
So when faced with the choice between inconvenient truths and comfortable lies, people turn to the latter.
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In my case, at least, that the answers seem to constantly lead to more questions is one of the things that I find fascinating, and actually keeps me interested.
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I think many people (and I'm no exception) also ask questions out of a desire or need to find meaning; to them, the idea that we're essentially just a random thing happening in a universe that's much larger and older than humanity, one that is, for the most part, a very hostile place (as far as living conditions are concerned), one where humans have no significance whatsoever on a universal scale, and one which is not even guided by any sort of intelligence and which has no purpose, no direction and (ultimately) no meaning - to them, that idea is very scary, and they shy away from it and try to convince themselves that all this isn't actually true, that there is more to the universe, that humans are special, and that there is meaning.
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