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Sci Wars I: The Phantom Menace
Posted By Stefan Monsaureus
Those of us of a humanist bent accept, and even thrive on, the complexities of our existence. We understand that simple answers are generally only an appropriate response to poorly framed questions, and that rather than a good versus evil, black versus white world, we seldom encounter truly binary situations in society.
But, in the great American culture war of the new millennium, advocates of science and reason are far too willing to characterize all religion as a negative force that must be overcome. We view theistic religion and its adherents as our steadfastly irrational foes, and insist that we must shine the light of truth upon them that reason may prevail.
Chris Mooney points to data suggesting that direct confrontation may not be the best strategy:
I merely wish to point out a good analysis of polling data over at Pew that strongly supports the broad Nisbet perspective. The gist: The American public doesn’t generally perceive a necessary conflict between religion and science; but if you tell them there is such an either-or conflict, guess which one of the binary options they’re gonna choose?
Not surprisingly, PZ Myers disagrees with this approach:
You are doing something wrong if the purveyors of ancient lies and dumb dogma are thanking you for your conciliatory position; we should be making them angry and worried, and if you have deep differences with someone, you are doing neither you nor them any favors if your sole strategy is conflict avoidance. You might as well just surrender and be done with it.
The distinction made all too infrequently in these debates is between religion and faith. Many who consider themselves religious are, in fact, strong allies of those opposed to the admixture of church and state and generally rational in their outlook. Our grievances lie with those whose actions are based on faith in the oversight and intervention of the divine fiction (despite any assertions that the former enables the latter). The challenge is in attacking ridiculous faith-based assertions without seeming to attack those who value their religious identity and community.
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1 September 2007
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