D’Souza aghast as he discovers many scientists don’t believe in God

Last updated on: November 14, 2014 at 5:35 am by Epiphenom

D’Souza aghast as he discovers many scientists don’t believe in God 2014-11-14T05:35:47+01:00 Epiphenom

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dinesh D’Souza is a blogger, author and self publicist who wields his mighty stick against the scourge of atheism. In his latest missive, he has uncovered evidence that science teachers are promoting atheism. How so? Simply this: his favoured god (a Christian of the bible-thumping Protestant variety) is at odds with science and the empirical evidence. His god, for example, doesn’t believe in evolution.

So far so tedious. But what makes this one more interesting is that he has unearthed some nice quotes from scientists on the incompatibility of science and religious beliefs about the origin of species:

Here is Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson in his widely-assigned book On Human Nature: “If humankind evolved by Darwinian natural selection, genetic chance and environmental necessity, not God, made the species.”

Biologist Stephen Jay Gould writes in his essay in the book Darwin’s Legacy: “No intervening spirit watches lovingly over the affairs of nature…whatever we think of God, his existence is not manifest in the products of nature.”

Douglas Futuyma asserts in his textbook Evolutionary Biology: “By coupling undirected, purposeless variation to the blind, uncaring process of natural selection, Darwin made theological or spiritual explanations of the life processes superfluous.”

Biologist William Provine writes, “Modern science directly implies that there are no inherent moral or ethical laws…We must conclude that when we die, we die, and that is the end of us.” Evolution, Provine has also said, is the “greatest engine of atheism.”

In his essay on “Darwin’s Revolution” in the book Creative Evolution, Francisco Ayala credits Darwin with proving that life is “the result of a natural process…without any need to resort to a Creator.”

For many people, the realisation that the god squad got it so wrong about something so fundamental as where we come from does turn them off religion. That’s true. But it’s also true that many religious people manage to accept the reality of evolution by natural selection and still retain their beliefs.

So teaching science to children may well turn them off religion. But that’s hardly the fault of science. And it’s certainly not a reason to stop teaching the evidence. D’Souza goes on to moan:

I suspect these quotations are merely the tip of the iceberg. Biologist Kenneth Miller–a star witness on behalf of evolution in recent court cases–writes in his book Finding Darwin’s God that “a presumption of atheism or agnosticism is universal in academic life…The conventions of academic life, almost universally, revolve around the assumption that religious belief is something that people grow out of as they become educated.”

Well that’s true as well. Intelligent, well educated people are much less likely to believe in god. Another uncomfortable reality for people like D’Souza.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

April 5, 2008

The big booming voice inside you that says God exists

Next Post

April 8, 2008 Religion can make you honest

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Causes of religion - evolution Causes of religion - psychological Causes of religion - social Demographics Digest Effects of religion - health Effects of religion - psychological Effects of religion - social Notifications Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Hebrews teaches that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sins.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE