Re: [Phys-l] Richard Dawkins Answers Reddit Questions

["Rauber, Joel" <Joel.Rauber@SDSTATE.EDU>]

As I recall John M. said that those who *bring* their religious habits and ways of knowing into the lab are significantly handicapped . . . This says nothing about those who successfully decouple their religious ways of knowing from their scientific ways of knowing; i.e. those who do not bring those religious habits into the lab.  

I believe it's an important distinction.

_________________________

Joel Rauber, Ph.D 
Professor and Head of Physics
Department of Physics
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD 57007
Joel.Rauber@sdstate.edu 
605.688.5428 (w)
605.688.5878 (fax) 


> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
> bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of William Robertson
> Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 2:08 PM
> To: Forum for Physics Educators
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Richard Dawkins Answers Reddit Questions
>
> The statement indicates that people with religious habits and ways of
> knowing are significantly handicapped, meaning they somehow are unable
> to decouple their religious beliefs and the scientific enterprise.
> Seems insulting to people with religious beliefs, to me.
>
> Bill
>
>
> William C. Robertson, Ph.D.
>
>
> On Nov 16, 2010, at 10:38 PM, Bernard Cleyet wrote:
>
> > Seems like an analytic statement to me.  Define religious habits and
> > especially ways of knowing, compare w/ scientific habits and ways of
> > knowing and you'll find they are incompatible.
> >
> > bc thinks JM forgot what he wrote, and (bc) sometimes has great
> > difficulty understanding the religious mind.
> >
> > p.s.  I don't think it's anti-religious; it's just don't expect to
> > get very far using religious methods in the lab. Just like don't
> > expect to get very far using arithmetik to solve a differential
> > equation -- well not very good example, as one can use numerical
> > methods which are arithmetik.   If it were a good example, would
> > anyone believe my statement was an attack against arithmeticians?
> >
> > Initially string theorists were compared to believers, because their
> > results were not testable; well that's changed according to G. Kane
> > (current PT).
> >
> > On 2010, Nov 16, , at 15:13, William Robertson wrote:
> >
> > > You stated:
> > >
> > > but I would maintain that anyone who brings traditional religious
> > > habits and "ways of knowing" into the lab with them, at the very
> > > least
> > > operates under a very significant handicap.
> > >
> > >
> > > Okay, so I substituted severe for significant. In what other way
> > > did I
> > > misrepresent what you said?
> > >
> > > Bill
> > >
> > >
> > > William C. Robertson, Ph.D.
> > >
> > >
> > > On Nov 16, 2010, at 4:10 PM, John Mallinckrodt wrote:
> > >
> > > > William Robertson wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > You state that anyone with religious beliefs is operating under a
> > > > > severe handicap when doing science.
> > > >
> > > > Nope; sorry.  Not what I said.  Read it again.
> > > >
> > > > > That's not just an unbiased, objective view. It's anti-religion. To
> > > > > make such a statement as if it's obvious to everyone is rather
> > > > > arrogant and certainly not fair-minded. I believe that's the kind
> > > > > of comment that raises Rick's ire.
> > > >
> > > > If you want to take issue with what I said, I'm all ears, but please
> > > > don't construct and then attack straw men.
> > > >
> > > > John Mallinckrodt
> > > > Cal Poly Pomona
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