| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Michael Gray" |
| Date: |
04 Jan 2008 05:13:27 PM |
| Object: |
AA: Lawrence Krauss on US atheism and scientists. |
Scientists, show your good side
05 January 2008
Lawrence Krauss
"LAST month, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave his
own version of John Kennedy's famous 1960 speech, in which Kennedy
reassured those who thought his Catholicism would turn him into a
puppet of the Vatican by bravely declaring to an audience of Southern
Baptist leaders, "I believe in an America where the separation of
church and state is absolute". In Romney's rendition, however, America
is a place where there is no room in the state for those who do not go
to church.
In the spirit of inclusiveness, Romney described an America made up of
Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Jews and Muslims. He failed, though,
to include one group that is probably larger than at least two of
these: the non-religious.
I have expressed my differences with Richard Dawkins in the pages of
New Scientist, but nothing better supports the validity of his
concerns about the public perception of atheism in the US than
Romney's speech: the notion that an individual whose actions are based
on a belief in God is a good person, while one whose actions are not
rooted in religion is evil.
Even scarier is the notion clearly prevalent in the current US
political system that the more you pray, the better suited you are to
govern. Romney urged judges to use the foundations of their faith in
making decisions, and insisted that religious faith remain a vibrant
force in government.
There are many among the faithful who argue that their faith helps
inform their reason. I accept that as a reality. Ultimately, though,
reason has to be the key basis of political decision-making, and
whatever else comes into it, the most important factor informing
reason should be empirical evidence.
If Romney doesn't scare you in this regard, consider Mike Huckabee.
Without expending significant funds, Huckabee has pulled ahead of his
fellow Republican candidates in the important early primary state of
South Carolina. When asked to identify the source of his new-found
popularity, Huckabee suggested it might be the Lord's doing, saying
there was "no human explanation" for his recent surge in the polls.
That's not surprising coming from a man who thinks the Earth might be
6000 years old, but is it what we need in the leader of the free
world?
Romney argued in his speech that America's founding fathers
established the United States "under God". In light of that claim, it
is worth remembering Thomas Jefferson's words: "I am satisfied, and
sufficiently occupied with the things which are, without tormenting or
troubling myself about those which may indeed be, but of which I have
no evidence." Jefferson and others established a precedent for
reality-based governance, which, in these times, we so desperately
need.
These issues are worth raising in a science magazine because
scientists, regardless of their religious leanings, need to play an
active role in opposing faith-based governing. Scientists have done a
particularly poor job of explaining that basing decisions on empirical
evidence does not make one immoral.
Many of the current attacks on science in the US are predicated on the
notion that because science does not include God in its picture of the
universe, science is inherently evil. Science, however, has an ethical
basis in honesty, open-mindedness tempered by healthy scepticism, full
disclosure and anti-authoritarianism. The scientific method makes it
possible for empirical reasoning to provide a basis for an ethical,
and even moral world. If scientists are shy to point that out, then we
encourage the at best exclusionary and at worst delusional attitudes
espoused by Romney and Huckabee in the public square."
From New Scientist
<http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19726373.400-commentary-scientists-show-your-good-side.html>
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| User: "johac" |
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| Title: Re: AA: Lawrence Krauss on US atheism and scientists. |
06 Jan 2008 03:11:04 AM |
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In article <2aftn3dk7lkt33uve307laae4n8l7hh38e@4ax.com>,
Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Scientists, show your good side
05 January 2008
Krauss is absolutely correct. People who want to mix politics and
religion have no place in a secular government. And that's what the
United States government is no matter how much the religious loonies on
the right deny it.
Speaking of Lawrence Krauss, I heard him recently discussing science
education in the US in a podcast put out by the Center for Inquiry, an
organization devoted to skepticism, debunking creationism, quack
medicine, etc. The have some excellent guests. Besides Krauss, Dawkins
is a frequent visitor you can subscribe or download individual podcasts
here:
http://pointofinquiry.org/
The homepage for the group is:
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/
Lawrence Krauss
"LAST month, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave his
own version of John Kennedy's famous 1960 speech, in which Kennedy
reassured those who thought his Catholicism would turn him into a
puppet of the Vatican by bravely declaring to an audience of Southern
Baptist leaders, "I believe in an America where the separation of
church and state is absolute". In Romney's rendition, however, America
is a place where there is no room in the state for those who do not go
to church.
e public square."
From New Scientist
<http://www.newscientist.com/channel/opinion/mg19726373.400-commentary-scienti
sts-show-your-good-side.html>
--
John #1782
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| User: "Michael Gray" |
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| Title: Re: AA: Lawrence Krauss on US atheism and scientists. |
06 Jan 2008 03:31:20 AM |
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On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:11:04 -0800, johac
<jhachmann@remove.sbcglobal.net> wrote:
In article <2aftn3dk7lkt33uve307laae4n8l7hh38e@4ax.com>,
Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Scientists, show your good side
05 January 2008
Krauss is absolutely correct. People who want to mix politics and
religion have no place in a secular government. And that's what the
United States government is no matter how much the religious loonies on
the right deny it.
Speaking of Lawrence Krauss, I heard him recently discussing science
education in the US in a podcast put out by the Center for Inquiry, an
organization devoted to skepticism, debunking creationism, quack
medicine, etc. The have some excellent guests. Besides Krauss, Dawkins
is a frequent visitor you can subscribe or download individual podcasts
here:
http://pointofinquiry.org/
The homepage for the group is:
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/
Yep.
I am an avid subscriber!
(But I guess the thinking lurkers should be interested in their
podcasts)
.
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| User: "johac" |
|
| Title: Re: AA: Lawrence Krauss on US atheism and scientists. |
07 Jan 2008 12:40:35 AM |
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In article <ps71o3hgs23uirp022klc8csfbboq4hi67@4ax.com>,
Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
On Sun, 06 Jan 2008 01:11:04 -0800, johac
<jhachmann@remove.sbcglobal.net> wrote:
In article <2aftn3dk7lkt33uve307laae4n8l7hh38e@4ax.com>,
Michael Gray <mikegray@newsguy.com> wrote:
Scientists, show your good side
05 January 2008
Krauss is absolutely correct. People who want to mix politics and
religion have no place in a secular government. And that's what the
United States government is no matter how much the religious loonies on
the right deny it.
Speaking of Lawrence Krauss, I heard him recently discussing science
education in the US in a podcast put out by the Center for Inquiry, an
organization devoted to skepticism, debunking creationism, quack
medicine, etc. The have some excellent guests. Besides Krauss, Dawkins
is a frequent visitor you can subscribe or download individual podcasts
here:
http://pointofinquiry.org/
The homepage for the group is:
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/
Yep.
I am an avid subscriber!
(But I guess the thinking lurkers should be interested in their
podcasts)
I would hope so.
--
John #1782
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