Re: [asa] Jerry Coyne sides with Dawkins and Hitchens

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 11:32 AM, PvM <pvm.pandas@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> The problem as I see it is that a well informed middle class, while
> inherently necessary for a strong democracy, also becomes a
> politically savvy population and an activist population, not dummed
> down by fake 'controversies' about the lives of celebrities is a
> politically 'dangerous' population. Give them food and games...
> Distract them. Megachurches, YEC, all rely on a willing population,
> both to accept the teachings as well as to give in tithes. It's an
> industry of faith and there is little interest in actually educating
> these people.
>
> Such trends, which I believe are very clear in the United States are
> worrisome if not threatening to a democracy.
>

I live in the evangelical subculture and I simply don't see this. I do see
the politicization of science but it is not limited to either the right or
evangelicals. For example, the Huffington Post is full of all sorts of
anti-scientific nonsense and don't get me started on Bill Maher. I think
part of the problem is how we define scientific literacy. In Jerry's case,
it's viewed merely as accepting particular scientific doctrines.

Rather, what's lacking in American science education is the understanding of
the process of science, e.g. what is a theory, why is peer review vital,
etc. If the populace was educated in this way then they would not be lead
astray by some random poll of "scientists" because they would know that any
such poll is a priori invalid. Furthermore, people educated in this fashion
would also be able to properly evaluate any science that emerges after high
school.

The hard part is the current polarization of the American people. Everybody
is suspicious of everybody else. So, my evangelical friends will not cede
control to some scientific elite in the form of consensus through peer
review. This is where the ASA comes in and explain religious people to
scientific people and vice versa. After we pull the arrows out of our
collective backs, hopefully *somebody* will listen. Maybe all this talk
about people being tired of the division is true. I sure hope so for all our
sakes.

Rich Blinne
Member ASA

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Received on Tue May 27 14:15:31 2008