Why are most scientists Atheist?

Question

"Some studies have suggested that atheism is particularly prevalent among scientists, a tendency already quite marked at the beginning of the 20th century, developing into a dominant one during the course of the century. In 1914, James H. Leuba found that 58% of 1,000 randomly selected U.S. natural scientists expressed "disbelief or doubt in the existence of God". The same study, repeated in 1996, gave a similar percentage of 60.7%; this number is 93% among the members of the National Academy of Sciences."
--Wikipedia

Answer 1

For alot of Atheists, science, rather than religion, is the key to solving the questions that humanity has been asking for thousands of years. (why are we here, who, or what made us?, and so on). It seems only logical that scientists, the most science related profession, prefer atheism over religion.

Answer 2

Probably many scientists have been thoroughly indoctrinated by Professors in Universities, indoctrinated to think that everything can be explained without any "supernatural" aspect ... if it can't be explained that way, that is just because scientists haven't found the "natural" answer yet. The Professors have been similarly indoctrinated when they went to University. This may have gone on for 3 or 4 generations.

There are a considerable number of scholars and scientists who are NOT Atheists. But their beliefs would be contrary to most public Universities.

If you attend classes at University probably you learn what to answer and how to answer so you will get passing grades and also you do not want to be "ridiculed" by the majority who, of course, agree with the Professors.

Answer 3

Well most scientists believe in things they can physically see, smell, touch, hear and feel. So Creationism doesn't hold up very well because they can't see god and there is no proof, so how could god create the earth? People who believe in the bible would say the bible is proof. I think most scientists would say it is just a story because there still is no proof, you can't see god.

Anyway, I think there will always be the science vs. religious debate because both theories contradict each other. I personally don't have an opinion but I am open minded to the world and that includes science and religion.

Answer 4

Interesting that there are people who are using this fact to deride religion. In truth, I doubt many scientists have such strong opinions about religion but instead simply find it insubstantial when it comes to answering questions that plague humanity.

The Gods described by the various religions tend to be anthropomorphic and anthropocentric, moralistically judgmental, culture-defined, death-denying, and microscopically centered on the earth. Anyone who takes a good look at the universe cannot hold to any of these ideas. To most scientists, the idea of a God who intervenes in the mechanical workings of life relatively ludicrous.

However, the scientists who find it acceptable to believe in some God have almost all freed themselves from the restrictions of the best known religions. They may be willing to suspend their naturalistic beliefs to allow for a possibility of a prime mover, but I sincerely doubt most have described their God as omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, and one who reveals himself through prophets and saviors.

And no doubt, most theistic scientists' thoughts about divinity include nothing about a benevolent God who has a relationship with individual creatures on a backwater planet of a rather nondescript star that lies on an outer arm of a mediocre galaxy among the billions of other galaxies in the universe. Such a God can only exist as a self-delusion of the creatures that inhabit such a planet.

But, they may think, as an organizing principal among we who inhabit the planet, a loving God far outpaces the judgmental God in keeping the earth peaceful and functional. However, the sad truth is that, since all projected deities are delusional, none holds any true authority to sway the human mind beyond ideas that are held independent of the god delusion.

Most scientists have no need for the divine other than to describe how the IDEA of divinity effects certain processes and events in human psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Inculcating theology at all into science beyond these fields is to taint the entire process of scientific inquiry.

Answer 5

I would suspect that it has something to do with the scientific method, which begins from a position of doubt. Every premise must be tested, either by logic or experiment, before it is accepted. Even so, scientists have found verifiable ways to explain the phenomena of the universe without requiring belief in supernatural influences. As natural explanations grow, room for God diminishes.

Answer 6

As a natural scientist myself I can honestly say of the people that I know in my company (we are all geologists) none of us have any strong beliefs in religion, apart from the few Muslims that are with us. This is probably because we have a different understanding of sciences than most people who only have very basic understanding from high school. From my perspective it could be that us geologists understand the length of time it takes to create, shape and fashion the earths surface, the processes involved in fairly intricate detail and the ability to quite accurately date rocks and fossils. I assume (and this is only an assumption) that the other sciences, biology, chemistry and physics have similar processes which contradict the thought of a divine creator.

Answer 7

Smarty pants usually think they know all, and would probably be upset to admit there is someone that know better than them.

Sure they often stated they are open and willing to discuss, but they will show their colors.


But suffice to say, anything produced by an educational institution and/or propaganda is close minded and only follow one school of thought. That's why you see people kept forcing people to believe in God and forced people to accept 'facts', they are forceful because they are 'educated'.



As for life.

Computer programmers know more about life than physicsts. Physicists only observe and theorize about life, while computer programmers create life or at least something resemble it.

Computer programmers see human's DNA sequences and marvel it, knowing that they wish they could programmed something like it without bugs.

Computer programs are basically a bunch of structured logic thoughts, mess one up, the whole thing crash.

Just don't expect much from programmers who just gathered a bunch of stuff and then compile.

Answer 8

Because the default worldview of contemporary scientists is reductionistic materialism. Not that it's cogent, not that it lacks basic incoherencies -- it's just the predominant weltanschauung in the academy. You'll notice that it's prevalent not just among scientists, but among academics in general -- that's the real demographic being observed.

It takes a brave and intelligent scientist -- John Polkinghorne comes to mind -- to defy that worldview and express the truth that theism and science are not incompatible. He'd make Newton proud.

Answer 9

Being a theist will clash with their work. And I know that there is this little consensus that creationist try to quote saying that up to 30% of scientists believe in God. That 30% is mostly made up of computer scientists and scientists of other fields which does not have anything to do with physical science and thus does not clash with their beliefs.

Answer 10

Probably because science is the research of facts that can be proven or disproved. The existence of God can neither be proven or disproved. And the way religions present God, is often anything but logical and is not based in reality or proven history (please don't talk to me about the "truth" in the Bible!!!). In fact, all religion are man-made and man-controlled.
So, although I have a deep belief in God, I have no belief in any religious dogma.