Creationist Scientist Is Victim Of A Witch Hunt.

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Creationist Scientist Is Victim Of A Witch Hunt.

by ianrthorpe @ 2008-09-17 – 17:51:09

From our science & religion correspondent Max Mindwarp.

When Prof. Michael Reiss, Director of Education for the Royal Society, Britain’s foremost mutual masturbation club for scientists, suggested that science teachers should be prepared to discuss creationist ideas in class as they represent an alternative world view to Darwinism he was immediately immersed in controversy.

Prof. Reiss, an eminent scientist and also an ordained minister of The Church of England, has been hounded into resigning his Royal Society post by the fascist bastards scientific fundamentalists who control the society and through it academic attitudes in faculties around the nation. These control freaks who have infiltrated the world of higher education and the media regard all mainstream religious though as heresy and will permit no reference to faith or suggestion that the views of religionists should be tolerated.

Prof. Reiss complained his comments had been taken out of context and wilfully misrepresented. Dr. Robert (Moustache Man) Winston, a practising Jew and fully competent IVF expert spoke out in support of his former Royal Society colleague. Dr. Winston who has often come under criticism for defending faith in the face of attacks from fundamentalist scientists said, “This is not a good day for the reputation of science and scientists.”

Boggart Blog tried to contact the Royal Society for a response to Winston’s comments but nobody was available to speak to us. Apparently their offices have been hit by a thunderbolt.

The Stools Of Satan

Professor steps down over creationism row.

Reiss resignation is science's loss

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16 Comments to Creationist Scientist Is Victim Of A Witch Hunt.

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- DominicGee
- 2008-09-17 @ 17:55:12
i don't like the royal soc either. they're becoming rather sinister.
- - ianrthorpe
  - 2008-09-17 @ 20:13:23
  I'm not that familiar with the R.S. but in comment threads at Comment Is Free and other sites I often come across cases of people calling themselves scientists ganging up to shout down any opinion that differes to the received wisdom of the scientific establishment.
  
  One of the favourite ploys is to ask someone who is merely expressing an opinion in an informal discussion thread if they have written up their ideas and submitted the article to scientific journals for review, as if nobody who had not done that is entitled to an opinion.
  
  I do find such forums in the US much more open minded.
  - - DominicGee
    - 2008-09-17 @ 23:39:19
    you're right US and Australian if you ever read them - they still have the nutter fringe views but it means that regular debate is a lot more dynamic. In this country and most of Europe there are only about two opinions you're allowed to have on any subject and they are not very different at all.
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- Debt Advice UK (Visitor)
- http://www.debts.org
- 2008-09-17 @ 18:16:21
Scientists have to be very open minded. An objective point of view should be the natural stance for any true scientist, thus, if a theory isn't perfectly proven (like evolution), alternatives should be presented.

If you really want to have a laugh with Fundamentalist scientists here's what you do...

Find a science text book from about 10 years ago. Open it and have a read. Believe me you will find many absolute statements of scientific certainty which today have been proven wrong. Take those erroneous scientific claims that were set in stone back then and query them with the Scientific Society and ask them if they were so certain before about those things why are they so certain now.
- - ianrthorpe
  - 2008-09-17 @ 20:16:32
  That's good advice but I only have to ask the difficult question about the profoundly flawed logic that is used to support Big Bang Theory.
  
  Perhaps they're getting so stroppy because they are losing most of the arguments.
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- rithompson
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/rithompson/
- 2008-09-17 @ 18:36:17
Someone should point out that faith, spirituality and science are not mutually exclusive.
- - ianrthorpe
  - 2008-09-17 @ 20:19:33
  Many have tried Ros, politely and reasonably, but they are just ridiculed and shouted down by the science lobby. (Robert Winston is a case in point.)This is why I have started referring to them as the Fundamentalist Scientists and suggesting they are trying to turn science into a religion.
  - - rithompson
    - http://www.flickr.com/photos/rithompson/
    - 2008-09-17 @ 20:22:23
    If you think about it, any "truth" can turn people into fundamentalists - religious, scientific, marxist, the market, etc, etc.
    - - ianrthorpe
      - 2008-09-18 @ 16:04:40
      And if you tell a lie often enough it becomes true.
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- BingoWings (Visitor)
- 2008-09-18 @ 15:22:06
Erm...I thought this was supposed to be a humour site. It's not very funny, is it? It's certainly not as funny / idiotic as the comments which follow it.
There's nothing quite as pathetic as people "of faith" trying to convince themselves that scientific method is invalid.
Of course a science text book from 10 years ago will contain things which have been superseded by new ideas. It's called PROGRESS. All scientists accept that their ideas can be challenged, providing that EVIDENCE exists to support such challenges. Can the same be said of followers of the bible?
It's not as laughable as someone who still considers the bible to be an accurate record of the creation of the world, despite the fact that all available evidence points to natural processes.
The scientific process has brought us modern medicine, space flight, satellites and much, much more.
What has religion achieved except fear, superstition and violence? If we ignored science and listened only to the preachers, we'd still be living in caves and worshipping the sun.
Unless I've missed the point completely and you're all really particle physicists pretending to be idiots to make bible-bashers look even more foolish.
That's funny.
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- ianrthorpe
- 2008-09-18 @ 16:44:00
Bingo Wings,
Yes you have missed the point completely, which I guess constitutes "scientific evidence" that you are a scientist. I am not except in the sense that despite what scientists think, science simply means knowledge and as we all know something we are all scientists.

The point is that scientists may claim to be open minded and crave debate but when a challenge to the received wisdom is made you unite to shout down the dissenting voices. Thus "scientific debate" is restricted to those ideas which do not challenge the establishment. And that is the model of a fascist society. If you know what I mean.

Having said I'm not a scientist, I am also not a religionists. Now I know your type of fascist scientists have trouble understanding that people who disagree with you are not necessarily creationists but I am actually an existentialist - don't bother looking it up, you'll never understand - a world view which holds that science is as irrelevant as religion. I guess its the fear of finding out that your religion "science" is as stupid as any other that is making you all so bitchy just now.

Michael Reiss has to be defended as the attacks on him by the science fascists, and the shouting down of any opposing view represents an attack on freedom of thought and freedom of speech. So much for scientists being open minded. If you know what I mean.

But although I am not religious I must answer your question "what has religion achieved"?

The irony is you see, all science began in the early religions. The first architechts, mathematicians, astronomers, chemists, healers, agriculturalists, engineers etc. were members of priestly castes or religious orders. Fear and violence are relitavely recent developments. Superstition is a matter of opinion.

So I guess the laugh is on you. but then you scienceistas make it so easy.

But you say the site is not funny. Well we do our best but obviously cannot cater for everyone, particularly those so humourous they can't see the joke in this post.

I should thank you though, you have underlined every point I made.
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- loiswakeman
- http://lois.co.uk
- 2008-09-18 @ 17:38:47
As a scientist by education and atheist to boot, am I allowed to say that I heard the chap explaining his proposition on the radio, and it sounded entirely reasonable? I was as surprised as you were by the resignation, which gives more reason for people to bash scientists as humourless and unimaginative reactionaries.

I happen to think that most religions are utterly wrong-headed if not barmy or dangerous, but there is no reason why people can't believe in God and know science - the two are very different ways of understanding life.
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- ianrthorpe
- 2008-09-19 @ 16:42:05
Lois,
I don't like to think of myself as a scientist although I worked in Information Technology (specialising in networks & communications) for many years. Plenty of sciences involved there of course, but what I find disturbing now is that a faction in the academic science community seem to be trying to turn science into a religion by accusing people who question the received wisdom of "being unscientific" (i.e. heresy)
More recently they have started to attack very viciously anyone who suggests religion or philosophy have anything to offer or that the science leading to a particular conclusion might be wrong. This is exactly what fundamentalists Muslims and Christians do with their religions.

If you looked in on any of the threads on scientific topics on The Guardian Comment Is Free website you would be surprised at the viciousness of attacks on people who raise perfectly resonable enquiries.

But anyone who can equate Robert Winston's (IVF pioneer Robert Winston mind you) attending synagogue with his being a creationist obviously has problems with logic and reason.

I'm no lover of religion as Ros (RI Thompson above) will tell you but to be told, as I have been, that I am not a scientist and therefore not allowed an opinion on scientific topics (and certainly not allowed to joke about science or its exponents) is an unacceptable attack on freedom of speech and thought.

So that gives a you perspective on why I am often so unkind to scientists here. I tempt them to my blog where I control the agenda and independent voices cannot be shouted down by the baying mob of fascist hounds.

Everyone is welcome in my threads until they start telling me what I can and cannot say. But those like Bingo Wings who seek to ridicule need to beware of the traps hiddeen in the corkscrew thinking. There is a science in language too
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- boring scientist (Visitor)
- 2008-09-19 @ 22:38:56
I think I am a scientist, therefore am I a fascist??
I've just seen your blog for the first time and I admit I was tempted tp reply... I couldn't help myself!! Very clever of you!!

Quote: (So that gives a you perspective on why I am often so unkind to scientists here. I tempt them to my blog where I control the agenda and independent voices cannot be shouted down by the baying mob of fascist hounds.)

I do get my students to consider creationism, but the "evidence" does point towards evolution. But show me the evidence that god exists and I'll change my mind, after all I'm open minded!! I'm sure I'll put myself up for ridicule for replying, but hey, I'm a teacher, I'm used to it!!
I like to look at both sides of an argument and i admit I didn't hear this one so I can't really comment, but having been an agnostic for a long time I found Richard Dawkins "The God Delusion" an interesting read and utterly convincing, and now cosider myself an atheist. But then, who's to say he isn't using biased views, ho hum. Wish I hadn't said anything now!!!
I know god, spirituality and science etc aren't mutually exclusive, but why do we need a god to explain the wonders of life, couldn't it have evolved this way? Having said that, I agree with Lois, you can believe in god as well as science (is that deism??? I dunno)Even though I don't, doesn't mean I'm going to force my ideas on anyone else. I'm not always right.

Anyway I'm waffling and also afraid of the acid tongued backlash of ianrthorpe, so I'm off to contemplate existential nihilism (don't bother looking it up, you'll never understand!!) ; )
- - boring scientist (Visitor)
  - 2008-09-19 @ 22:41:04
  bugger, I made a spelling mistake, I meant consider, sorry. Off to crawl under a rock.
  - - ianrthorpe
    - 2008-09-20 @ 17:45:02
    boring scientist,
    
    I replied at length offline but for the benefit of others in the thread I think you are allowing yourself to be confused by the idiotic comments of the person who signed in as Bingo Wings who is exactly the kind of scienceologist I complain about.
    
    I do not even accept the possibility of a God existing for me not to believe in therefore I am not an atheist. I am not a nihilist however as I do believe in humanity and therefore have values.
    
    Others however, both the scientists referred to in the main post and some of the people who left comments find no inconsistency in practicing a faith and studying evolutionary science. To brand any of us creationists as Bingo Wings did is idiotic but typical of what I have come to expect from followers of the cult of scienceology.
    
    You want the wonders of life explained without involvement of any God figure? Things are the way they are because that's how they are. OK? No point worrying about it.
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