[lbo-talk] Neo-Lamarckianism???? Come on!

[Miles Jackson]

John Thornton wrote:
> Miles Jackson wrote:
>   
>>
>> I'm not seeing the essential incompatibility of doing science and 
>> believing in a god.  
>>     
>
> Believing that an omniscient omnipotent being who can create the 
> universe is integrated into which branch of science?
>   
Your argument is based on the flawed premise that scientists only 
believe things that are supported by scientific evidence.  Scientists 
have many beliefs that are not related to science at all.  For instance, 
a scientist can believe "I love my husband", "24 is a stupid, jingoistic 
TV show", "Kurosawa is the greatest director of the 20th century", and 
so on without basing those beliefs on scientific evidence.  Religion, 
like many aspects of social life, is not part of a scientific 
discipline; thus applying the scientific standards of evidence to 
religion is as silly as applying religious standards to evaluate 
science.  For almost all scientists, their religious beliefs, like their 
beliefs about art and literature, are just irrelevant to their 
scientific work.

Miles