From: Howard J. Van Till (hvantill@chartermi.net)
Date: Tue Jul 15 2003 - 20:52:08 EDT
>From: "Dr. Blake Nelson" <bnelson301@yahoo.com>
> Howard, sorry you missed my point, I have tried to
> restate it more clearly below.
SNIP....
> So, my point is not at all about intellectual hubris,
> although sometimes that accompanies academics (being
> one) IMHO. ;)
OK, it could be a self-selection effect. That would be an interesting thesis
to test.
I had said:
>> Given their informed judgment regarding
>> the credibility of the
>> scientific concept of evolution, and given that the
>> example set by the
>> majority of Christian theists entails a rejection of
>> that informed judgment,
>> these intelligent and well-informed persons are less
>> inclined to join with
>> the theists.
Blake replied:
> Sure, but this is just ignorance on the part of the
> person using some christians to tar the whole belief
> system and it is somewhat lazy not to follow up on
> one's prejudices (which the opinion you described
> above is if one believes it applies to all
> christians.)
Point well taken, but in this case, your "some Christians" turns out to be
the majority.
> I don't demonize atheists, per se, but many --
> P.Atkins and R.Dawkins -- spring to mind are so
> apparently ignorant about religious belief and so
> virulently antagonistic, that it is hard to believe
> their choices were made humbly.
Atkins, Dawkins & the like deserve a good share of the criticism they get.
But this whole discussion began with wondering, not about these obvious
strident spokespersons, but the 93% of the NAS.
I still say they deserve a fair hearing before assuming they are carbon
copies (old expression) of Dawkins & Atkins.
Howard Van Till
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