Who is winning in the west: christianity or atheism?

Discussion in 'Religion and Spirituality' started by tradingjournals, Sep 21, 2012.

  1. I agree with your point about more education helping world affairs. Not just to counter Religion, but to expand the knowledge that we are all here on this planet together, and should consider working together instead of invading, conquering, wars of policy or finance. I know this is kind of a Duh thing to say, but with all the tools we have now, there is no reason for so much of the World to live life uneducated.
     
    #41     Sep 24, 2012
  2. stu

    stu

    All of which run the gamut of atheism. :)
     
    #42     Sep 24, 2012
  3. Lucrum

    Lucrum

    Not an entirely bad idea. Are enough of those goat humpers literate enough for it to work?
     
    #43     Sep 24, 2012
  4. Good riposte! :p
     
    #44     Sep 24, 2012
  5. Maybe not, but I'll bet their kids and anyone under the age of 30 will be with in a few months of playing with a computer.
     
    #45     Sep 24, 2012
  6. Where did you get the 7% number?

    There are many studies that show 40-50% of scientists believe in god, but none that I can find that show 7%.

    And there are many other top scientists who believe in god, it's not just Collins. William Phillips won a Nobel Prize in physics and Jerome Groopman of Harvard is one of the most highly respected medical professors in the world. Should Collins, Phillips and Groopman be ridiculed for their beliefs? You spend a lot of time ridiculing people who believe in god so I assume you hold these accomplished scientists in the same contempt that you hold all people who believe in God. And while you're at it, don't forget to ridicule Max Planck.

    Also, please provide a reference for your statement that only 7% of scientists believe in god or a higher power.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/2466974...ience/t/how-scientists-really-feel-about-god/

    I'm an agonostic, but I can't completely discount the possibility of god because there are brilliant people who hold these beliefs.
     
    #46     Sep 24, 2012
  7. Really? Knowledge and rational thought is a problem? Maybe in your world.
     
    #47     Sep 24, 2012
  8. +1 brother
     
    #48     Sep 24, 2012

  9. Best Answer
    Answer

    The first thing is to decide what is meant be "recognized scientists" - eminent scientists, less eminent scientists who do perform pure research, or persons with advanced science degrees but perform little or no pure research. If reliable data on belief in creation within the scientific community is not available, we could start by establishing how many scientists believe in a personal god, because the number who literally believe in creation must be somewhat smaller than this.

    · In 1998, a study by Larson and Witham appeared on the leading journal Nature ("Leading scientists still reject God"), showing that of the American scientists who had been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, only about 7 percent believe in a personal god.
    http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Approxima...of_recognized_Scientists_believes_in_Creation
     
    #49     Sep 24, 2012
  10. The study showed that 7% believe in a personal god, which is different that a belief in god or some higher power. Max Plank didn't believe in a personal god (despite what some people say), but he did believe in a higher power. Where do people like Planck fit in?

    When you ridicule people who believe in god, please remember to ridicule Collins, Groopman and Nobel Prize winners Phillips and Planck.
     
    #50     Sep 24, 2012