Re: [asa] AGW discussion

On Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 7:02 PM, Schwarzwald <schwarzwald@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> All that aside. Rich, you so often make hay of the claim that "Christians
> in science will not identify they are Christians". It's about time someone
> asks, why?

It's not because they are Christians, ironically, but rather the false
perception of Christianity caused by the politicization of our faith. Things
like Christians falsely accuse people and are nasty and judgmental. This is
nothing like my Christian colleagues nor I would suspect the people you meet
on Sunday morning. That's why I am begging you all to knock it off as you
are reinforcing a bad stereotype. The instant a secular scientist hears
something from a Christian about themselves they know is not true then they
will think that other Christians are just like that even though we both know
it's not true. But, believe me once this has happened there's no convincing
that can be done.

All this being said, If you are low-level scientist it's usually not much of
a problem. You can organize Bible studies and the like at government labs
and at universities very easily. It gets approved by other Christians
higher up but it's all very quiet. It's when you are in leadership that
this tendency is more pronounced because people will perceive that your
Chrisitianity is political.

> Is it because they will have that held against them by their peers and
> superiors?

Sometimes but not as often as being a mainstream scientist is held against
us in churches. The world is the world and it's to be expected that those
who persecuted our Lord will persecute His followers. It's doubly sad,
though, to see Christ's little ones persecuted in His church.

> Are you saying that their fellow, non-Christian scientists and employers
> will keep them from advancing professionally, ostracize them, and generally
> put pressure on them in their work and research because of their Christian
> faith?

Not very often because people recognize the scientists who are Christians
do an excellent job. They just don't know why they do an excellent job.
Which is a shame both for the loss of witness and there are many scientists
who are Christians who are in desparate need of fellowship. If they really
knew how many of us were out there they would be greatly encouraged. That's
why I a member of the ASA to be able to encourage them and be counted.

> And if so, *are you saying that these scientists are justified in doing so
> * because of their perceptions of Christianity? I'd really like to know.

Of course not. Note that when persecution does happen as was the case with
Dr. Gonzalez at Iowa State a number of the ASA stood up for him, protesting
to the President of the university on how he was treated. Even though there
were viscious atheists on campus such as Professors Avalos and Patterson --
I should know I went there -- the political polarization at the national
level made it difficult to support him. It became a science vs. anti-science
question even though there was nothing that Dr. Gonzalez promoted that was
anything but mainstream. Nevertheless, it didn't make Dr. Gonzalez in any
sense responsible, just another victim of this crazy political nonsense.

Rich Blinne
Member ASA

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Received on Mon Nov 30 22:30:51 2009