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MikeX
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Just wondering... I know a couple who are but I don't want to make a generalization.
Not necessarily, I know biology professors who go to church every sunday. Their believes do not interfere with the work they do everyday.MikeX said:Just wondering... I know a couple who are but I don't want to make a generalization.
Earlier in the article, Dean observed, "disdain for religion is far
From universal among scientists," and later cited the results of Edward J. Larson and Larry Witham's 1996 survey among natural scientists as to their beliefs in God and immortality, with 39.6% of respondents agreeing with "I believe in a God in intellectual and affective communication with mankind, i.e., a God to whom one may pray in expectation of receiving an answer" (and about 45.5% disagreeing and 14.9% expressing agnosticism). According to Witham's Where Darwin Meets the Bible (Oxford University Press, 2002), 42.5% of the responding biologists agreed, 43.5% disagreed, and 14% expressed agnosticism.
cronxeh said:Biology has pretty much everything to do with religion.
neurocomp2003 said:i wonder if that applies to physicists, psychologists and chemists and any interdisplinary field among the 4.
Think again. You can believe in a god and evolution at the same time. The question is not whether biologists believe in Adam and Eve, the question is whether they believe in a higher power.MikeX said:if you are a biologist and don't believe in evolution thinking "intelligent design" is true, then you shouldn't be a biologist. Simple as that.
Monique said:Think again. You can believe in a god and evolution at the same time. The question is not whether biologists believe in Adam and Eve, the question is whether they believe in a higher power.
I agree with you on this. The original question asked if biologists are atheists or religious. It didn't ask anything at all about any particular religion or belief system. You can also believe in a god or gods without being religious...one may think there is no need for religious rituals to recognize the existence of their god. Believing in a god or having a religion does not require believing in intelligent design. There is no reason one can't believe there is a god and that god gave the universe a little "zap" billions of years ago to create the first matter and then sat back and watched what happened.Monique said:Maybe god made man out of monkeys, no one can prove that there is no god so why can't a biologist believe in one. ID stands separate from the discussion of believing in a god or being an atheist.
People who believe in evolution aren't per definition atheist, are they?
Yeah, but that is not the discussion.selfAdjoint said:But, firstly, ID is false, so a sincere scientist shouldn't believe in it.
Again, the question was atheism not whether biologists belong to the Christian or Protestant church. You do not need to be religious in order to believe in a god. There are so many different religions, that does not mean that there are that many gods. This is about the basic belief that there is something else.If you acknowledge two sources of truth, religious dogma and observation, then you can expect them to diverge sometimes.
Yes, people seem to be making that logical leap here and it just isn't the way it needs to be. I, for example, fully accept evolution, but I also consider myself a Christian. How? I don't take the Bible literally where it conflicts with science. Simple as that and as a result, it is quite easy to keep my faith and my science separate.Monique said:People who believe in evolution aren't per definition atheist, are they?
Scientists are, by definition, free thinkers, so it only makes sense that they wouldn't blindy and absolutely accept religious dogma.hexhunter said:i think generally a lot of scientists believe in their own style of religion
Yes - people are mixing things here that are not necessarily linked.Monique said:Again, the question was atheism not [insert random specific religion/belief here]...
This is about the basic belief that there is something else.
Atheist
n. One who disbelieves or denies the existence of God or gods.
Garth said:with the exception of the medical field.
Intuitive said:Anybody work out an equation for the existence of GOD yet?
Garth said:Perhaps you might have the wrong equation? Try
1 = 1!
Garth
When asked in the Hebrew Bible who it was, god said, "just call me I Am". Thus, a possible equation for god would be [I Am = I Am]. Now in philosophy, this equation can be reduced to [A=A], which is called the Law of Identity. The Law of Identity is called an axiomatic concept in philosophy, it cannot be derived from thinking, it must just be accepted as a true starting point in further discussion as long as one wants to use "logical" rules for argument. Thus, we can say that god is the Law of Identity personified, and the equation for god is [A=A].Intuitive said:Anybody work out an equation for the existence of GOD yet?
According to a 2017 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, about 33% of biologists identify as atheists.
There is no one definitive answer to this question, as individuals' beliefs and reasons for them can vary. However, some possible factors may include the emphasis on evidence-based thinking and the scientific method in biology, as well as the lack of empirical evidence for the existence of a deity.
Yes, there are certainly religious biologists. While the percentage may be lower compared to other fields, there are still many biologists who identify as religious or spiritual.
No, a biologist's personal beliefs do not necessarily impact their work or research. The scientific method is based on objective evidence and data, and personal beliefs should not play a role in the interpretation of results.
Yes, there are many famous biologists who identify as atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, E.O. Wilson, and Steven Pinker. However, it is important to note that personal beliefs do not necessarily define a scientist's work or contributions to the field of biology.