- #1
Loren Booda
- 3,125
- 4
Are those of higher intelligence less likely to believe in intelligent design?
zomgwtf said:I'm pretty sure a study was done on this and the answer is yes. Of course the term 'higher intelligence' is completely subjective, maybe to me having higher intelligence is actually having the courage to have blind faith in something...
Proton Soup said:an intelligent person realizes it's not something you can either prove or disprove
G01 said:I've met PhD's in physics who are devout Catholics, and Muslims. They are good physicists who publish quality research. One of the best Math professors I ever had was a Jesuit priest.
Loren Booda said:Are those of higher intelligence less likely to believe in intelligent design?
logickills said:Yea, I know smart people who are also devout Christians. One of the guys that is in charge of mapping the human genome was a strong Christian.
logickills said:Yea, I know smart people who are also devout Christians. One of the guys that is in charge of mapping the human genome was a strong Christian.
arunma said:This is true, but Dr. Francis Collins also rejects intelligent design and believes in biological evolution. He's actually an excellent example of an intelligent person who can hold a fairly strong religious belief without experiencing cognitive dissonance due to his scientific understanding. Many here seem to be equating theism with belief in pseudoscience. But I think that comparison isn't accurate. A distinction should be made between theism and pseudoscientific beliefs like intelligent design or creationism.
Loren Booda said:Are those of higher intelligence less likely to believe in intelligent design?
Ivan Seeking said:Loren, why would you start a thread like this? You do realize that it just opens the door to religion bashing, right? If you want an answer, look it up. You are opening the door to opinions, which can be completely subjective, and are generally hostile towards this subject.
I think one also has to allow for personality types. My personal theory is that scientists and engineers often have a need to believe that they understand the the world. This worldview does not tend to be compatible with matters of faith. My view here is partly motivated by six years of moderating S&D. Many particpants almost seem fearful that some things might still exist that we just can't explain. When I took over S&D it soon became clear that many debunkers needed debunking as much as the fringe groups. And there still tends to be the assumption that any prosaic explanation for an unusual claim is valid, whether it speaks to the facts or not.
MotoH said:Why does it matter if a great scientist believes in intelligent design? Does that make his work any less credible?
If a scientist gave serious (as opposed to merely whimsical) time and energy to the existence of the Easter Bunny, yes I would say it calls his credibility into question.MotoH said:Why does it matter if a great scientist believes in intelligent design? Does that make his work any less credible?
jeffonfire said:Einstein, Neils Bohr, Louis Pasteur, Mendel and lots of the other fathers believed in a God of some sort. Some of them claimed that their belief in God encouraged them to do science.
I can't think of a major scientific discovery that helped mankind discovered by an atheist. (I would love to be told I am wrong at this point, my memory just fails me.)
You want us to tell you you're wrong about not being able to think of an example? We can't do that. Only you know if you can't think of an example.jeffonfire said:I can't think of a major scientific discovery that helped mankind discovered by an atheist. (I would love to be told I am wrong at this point, my memory just fails me.)
jeffonfire said:O sorry, I didn't notice the ID debate leaning of the thread. Manny of the greatest scientist were accepted ID though. If I remember correctly Louis Pasteur and Mendel were some of them(Although the term ID had not been coined yet).
Loren Booda said:Physics appears to be based on logic, as I grant an Intelligent Design might. Atheists objectify, and theists personify, the universal source.
An Intelligent Designer would manifest an ethical basis, one explored by many without referring to a God. Ideas like beauty, peace, love and truth have guided most scientists, I believe, whether they knew it or not.
Can any of you suggest past correlatives to Intelligent Design? Certainly this is not the first dispute of this type in history.
Please try to keep your passion constructive.
Loren Booda said:Can any of you suggest past correlatives to Intelligent Design? Certainly this is not the first dispute of this type in history.