Actually, I wonder if I'm part of the silent non-theist AND
theist majority in that area...
Why am I talking? I got tired of listening to those claiming
to speak for me and those believing such claims and mindlessly
parroting them.
I've never worked with a non-theist scientist who thought
that the findings of science, & evolution in particular, proved
a lack of purpose in the universe. They may think that the
information is not inconsistent with that possibility, but
all understood that this is not the same as actually making
the case for purposelessness. Now I've _heard_ that there are
some who think purposelessness has been demonstrated or could
be demonstrated by scientific discoveries, but I've never
personally encountered them or knew that this is what they
believed when I met them.
Similarly, I never worked with theist scientists (a group
including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, & no doubt
a few other religious), who said that evolution conflicted
with purpose. I have met a few scientists that were
creationists but even they agreed that the validity of
evolution would not rule out the existence of purpose.
My closest encounters to type-a,b individuals: There is a
biography of Sewall Wright in my house that was signed by
William Provine, but I got that indirectly and have never met
him. I've got a couple books by Dawkins and a physical chemistry
textbook by Atkins (I don't know whether this is the same "arch-
materialist" Atkins I've heard about). Finally, I've got a book
signed by Phil Johnson that I picked up in a used bookstore in
Berkeley.
Johnson signed this "Darwin on Trial" 1st edition with:
"For David - May you read it critically"
I found another inscription in the cover revealing that the
book was a gift by parents who must have been concerned about
a son's encounters with evolution and the rest of the
scientific priesthood (Berkeley being overrun with such
"types" at that time).
Apparently David did read the book carefully, for I was
able to buy the book second-hand within months after it
was printed & signed.
Regards,
Tim Ikeda
tikeda@sprintmail.com
At 12:44 PM 3/31/01 -0700, you wrote:
>Tim wrote: "Well, for the record, and you can quote me *word-for-word*
>in this paragraph (prediction: not that anyone will bother),"
>
>Actually, Tim, I'm one who will be doing that. Thanks. I am enrolled in a
>course at Iliff on "Science, Religion and Theology," and it is useful to
>have every side represented in the discussions.
>
>I suspect your position may be that of a majority of non-theists (the
>silent majority?)
>
>Burgy (John Burgeson)
>
>www.burgy.50megs.com
>
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