Re: [Phys-l] Phys-l madness

["Dr. Keith S. Taber" <kst24@cam.ac.uk>]

I'm not sure how this was intended, but a possible implication is 
that religious = anti-science = nuts.

That may be your view John, I do not know, but any implication that 
religious people per se would be against science and therefore would 
want to trash anthropocentric global warming theories seems a poor 
generalisation.

For example, some religious people actually would 'welcome' global 
warming as fulfilling prophecy. I doubt many religious scientists are 
likely to be in that camp, but to be religious does not mean taking a 
particular view on global warming.

Turning to more mainstream positions, I know global warming has been 
a focus of discussion of talks at the Faraday Institute for Science 
and Religion, here in Cambridge. In that forum the mainstream 
Christian view seem to have been well aired, i.e. that religious 
people should consider themselves as custodians of this world and so 
should take global warming and other issues of sustainable living on 
earth issues very seriously indeed.

You may have other reasons for feeling that religion is not 
compatible with science (although you must accept that is just one 
perspective, and not shared by all scientists), but if you meant to 
imply that religious people would tend to be biased to disbelieve 
global warming, then I suspect that is incorrect. Some will, but many 
will take quite the opposite view - indeed in the Christian tradition 
(which is not the only major world religion, of course) it is 
accepted that humans tend to make bad decisions and do damaging 
things, and it takes an effort to do the right thing, and that people 
should make this effort to do what is right even if it is not in 
their immediate material interest.

I know your generalisation is wrong as an absolute; however I am 
prepared to be told I am wrong about what the majority view would be, 
if you have good data to show me most religious people tend to 
disbelieve global warming. That has not been my experience.


Keith


At 01:14 -0500 15/10/10, John Clement wrote:
> ... His letter is now being posted on the religious
> anti-global warming web sites.  As to religion on this list, the 95 thesis
> analogy is precisely what the religious sites are comparing it to.  Rather
> than igniting reasoned discourse the resignation is empowering the
> anti-science nuts. ...


--
Dr. Keith S. Taber

http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/staff/taber.html
http://people.pwf.cam.ac.uk/kst24/

Author: Progressing Science Education - Constructing the Scientific 
Research Programme into the Contingent Nature of Learning Science 
(Springer: 2009)

University Senior Lecturer in Science Education

Science Education Centre
University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
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