Re: [asa] Sam Harris on Collins

Fellow ASA members,

Do we really believe a Muslim scientist cannot do science because he is
Muslim, and a communist scientist cannot do science because he is communist
and a Japanese scientist cannot do science because he is Shinto, and an
American Indian cannot do science because of ancestral beliefs, and so
on? Doesn't science exist to eliminate the differences between personal
characteristics and situation of the observer scientist?

To make religion a litmus test - well, will race, sex and sexual
orientation be the next litmus test for whether one can do science?

One of the first things I noticed is that Harris seems to suggest that if
God exists then tidal waves that cause thousands of people to drown are not
just natural phenomena.

Say what???? Its almost as if he believes that God designed the tidal wave
and thus is culpable.

A separate question would be "is God immoral" by not stepping in and
stopping the tidal wave and the ensuing human suffering." But that is so
terribly simplistic. And it of course has nothing to do with science per
se (unless ethics is a subset of science, which seems to be what Harris
believes).

Harris seems to be saying that belief in God is of only one kind - belief
that God steps in and tinkers with everything at all levels and thus causes
everything. The extreme opposite of materialism. But isn't this a form
of black and white fallacy?

The really sad part is, if you are going to decide to be an atheist,
shouldn't one first tackle the problem of pain and the problem of evil
*before* making the decision?
Going in blind is fine for an individual - but to then insist that everyone
else on earth must do so as well? It is a bit much.

On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 12:40 PM, George Murphy <GMURPHY10@neo.rr.com>wrote:

> For starters, Harris thinks that belief in God & scientific explanations of
> phenomena are "alternatives." & he equates belief that science cannot
> provide a complete understanding of the human condition with the idea that
> "a scientific understanding of human nature is impossible".
>
> Shalom
> George
> http://home.roadrunner.com/~scitheologyglm<http://home.roadrunner.com/%7Escitheologyglm>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Burgeson (ASA member)" <
> hossradbourne@gmail.com>
> To: "asa" <asa@calvin.edu>
> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 12:35 PM
> Subject: [asa] Sam Harris on Collins
>
>
> The NYT yesterday published an op-ed piece by Sam Harris opposing the
>> nomination of Francis Collins. It can be viewed at
>>
>> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/opinion/27harris.html?th&emc=th
>>
>> How should the arguments Harris makes be countered?
>>
>> --
>> Burgy
>>
>> www.burgy.50megs.com
>>
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Received on Mon Jul 27 19:21:05 2009