Re: [Phys-l] Phys-l madness

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

At 10:30 -0500 15/10/10, John Clement wrote:
> If you look at my previous posts, you will see that I have carefully made
> distinctions between religious groups.

Thank you John, you have made it clear that I would not have been 
right to have interpreted your comments as equating religion in 
general with anti-science. Terminology can be unhelpful here of 
course, because there are many people who consider themselves 
creationists because they believe that the universe was created and 
is sustained by a God, without seeing that as any reason to argue 
with such theories as the big bang and evolution by natural selection 
as possible means by which this was achieved. Of course, they may be 
careful about using the term creationist about themselves for obvious 
reasons. I have not come across these anti-science groups who have 
religious underpinnings/motivations here yet (in the context of 
denying global warming on non-evidential grounds), so perhaps that is 
an 'import' I can look forward to in due course.


At 10:30 -0500 15/10/10, John Clement wrote:
> I don't see the pro global warming camp using religious justifications for
> their conviction.  They do use moral ideas to justify intervention.

I would agree that we should not confuse the two. Anyone who is 
convinced that significant global warming is occurring should be 
expected to take a moral stance on how we collectively should 
respond: I don't see any reason to distinguish people in terms of 
religious convictions in that regard.

Best wishes

Keith


--
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
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