Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction

[timoneill]

The usual suspects are on the attack against Thomas Dixon's Science and Religion: A Very Short Introduction over at Butterflies and Wheels. Dixon is, of course, condemned as a stooge of the Templeton Foundation (despite being an agnostic). Galileo features prominently and, of course, the schoolmaster Charlie Freeman pokes his nose in to check on his pupils and acolytes.

Fun and games for all. Dixon makes a game and polite attempt at defence and some adjustment of attitudes in the comment section before realising the futility of it all.

Edit: Ophelia "You're Banned!" Benson continues the "dialogue" in Dixon's absence here and here. Naturally, I was alerted to all this by the Vatican's mind control "Attack Dog Alert Beacon".

[merkavah12]

Oh noes! The horrible wrath of the Vatican Commandos are upon them!




Only the mighty FREE-MAN with his mighty power sword can rescue the Butterfly Kingdom!

[acornuser]

It was interesting how Templeton kept coming up. I suppose it is a way of saying that it is biased. I didn't read all the posts, but this one (#47, by Egbert) was interesting:

"There is also another kind of conflict: internal conflict. This is the conflict inside people who sit within two different communities, who may hold two opposing ideas simultaneously. This is often termed compartmentalisation, but it’s a psychological explanation for religious liberals, or religious scientists, moderates in general, and accommodationists.

Such people can mix within two communities freely, but changing their loyalty in whatever camp they wish to mix in. Such people seem to have an inability to create coherency, as if their reductionist or rationalist methodology is not functioning. These moderates still dance to the tune of outside authority, mostly likely influenced by their human relationships, but it takes a particular strong personality to reject authority and hold a sceptical rational relationship to all knowledge."

[humphreyclarke]

Jan 27, 2011 15:17:22 GMT acornuser said:

a sceptical rational relationship to all knowledge

I don't know anyone who has holds a skeptical rational relationship to all knowledge....and it's a very good thing. Who has time to sit all around all day worrying about the existence of other minds, whether free will exists or whether supporting Ipswich Town FC is ultimately a compete waste of time.