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Random Thoughts

This Blog focuses on faith and reason, tying rational thought with faith.

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Location: Virginia, United States

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Scientist as a particular type of Athiest?

I heard this the other day, probably on a Christian radio station (WAVA 105.1 in Washington DC area). The term scientist is really that you believe in science. Of course, that's a bit of a logical puzzle, as science is about obtaining evidence with know error margins. Belief shouldn't enter in to it, but I think the science community does, at least in public, believe very strongly in science.

As a Christian, I've always maintained that my faith started with facts (see McDowell's Evidence That Demands a Verdict) and wasn't so much a matter of belief, and science is by definition fact based. So I think the two mix very well. The faith comes in after digesting the facts, because the facts point one to faith in things to come. And this is OK for Christianity, but not so much for science. The statement that everything must have a scientific explanation is a statement of faith, because it can never be subject to experimentation.

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