Science vs. religion : what scientists really think - File PDF

What Scientists Are Doing Wrong That They Could Be Doing Right 133doing? Now we’ll hear from some who have ideas about what their colleaguescould do better to advance the cause of science among a religious public.WHAT SCIENTISTS COULD BE DOING RIGHTContrary to the predictions of some, religion does not seem to be going away. 14It has a tremendous ability to affect the public perception of science and issomething about which all scientists should develop nuanced views. We mightthink of the dialogue scientists enter into with the public about issues of religionas having distinct stages—not hierarchical stages, wherein all scientistsideally proceed from one to the next, but stages where scientists might chooseto enter and remain or to progress from one to the next, depending on theirown backgrounds and propensities. These stages of dialogue might be namedas follows:Recognizing religious diversity . This base stage would be for scientists torecognize that there is a diversity of religious traditions and that different traditionsintersect with science in distinct ways.Recognizing the limits of science . In this stage, scientists could develop a willingnessto discuss what science is and what it is not.Active engagement . The third stage—especially for scientists who arereligious—would be a willingness to talk publicly about the connectionsbetween their own faith and the work they do as scientists. This engagementwould provide models for religious members of the public who might beotherwise unwilling to trust and endorse.Recognizing Religious DiversityWhile elite scientists have a very elaborate vocabulary for the subjects they dealwith in their own particular fields and subfields, those without a religious identity(over 50 percent) have limited experience or limited ongoing interactionwith religion and religious people. (Thirteen percent of scientists were raisedwith no religious tradition, and those who were raised in a religious home oftensaw religion practiced only weakly.) The first stage of effectively engaging religionand science, then, is to recognize the diversity in religious thought andpractice. Just as not all biologists study the same biological system, not all religiouspeople have the same beliefs or apply their beliefs in the same way. Inaddition, academic scientists will have to broaden and deepen their ideas about