Do you think many religious people are intolerant to “atheist” views based on science?

Question

I called the library to check out a book written by a scientist who discusses the idea that there is no supernatural god based on science.

There are 8 copies in my county, 6 of those have been “destroyed” or are being “repaired”, and 2 copies have been saved. The librarian said they were having people vandalize these books that were just released to the public 6 months ago!

Are religious people that intolerant that they check out books with atheist views and destroy them?

Seriously, are they afraid religion is threatened by science?

Answer 1

So, your'e saying the books need saving? not people? I do believe you're my kind of person... Nice.

Answer 2

Science is silent on the existence of a deity. Any work that purports to claim knowledge either way is not a work of science, even when written by a scientist. All your details demonstrate is that some specific religious people have been intolerant of a specific book on the topic of religion. I condemn book damaging in any way it happens, but this anecdote is insufficient to support your premise.

I don't think religious folk, by and large, are hostile to science - after all, faithful Muslims restored science to the post-medieval Christian west by preserving old Greek texts, and the Renaissance's great scientists were to a one pretty much all Christians.

It was a Catholic priest - Gregor Mendel - who provided the first experimental proof for Darwin's theory.

By the way, out of a suspicion that I can guess at the book you are referring to, I'm not sure Richard Dawkins can be called a scientist any more, if ever (John Barrow, the cosmologist, once called him on this.) His one moment of glory, his theory regarding phenotypes, is a long ago proposal, and nothing approaching field work has come from him any time within the lifetime of most YA posters.

Dawkins is more properly an evangelist of science who holds an advocacy chair at Oxford. His actual "scientist" days (if he ever really had them) are well behind him.

Answer 3

That's as despicable as atheists tearing pages out of Gideon Bibles whenever they stay at hotels. Fortunately, very few atheists do that, as I'm sure very few religionists would consider destroying a library book just because they don't agree with what the author has to teach.

But to answer your question, yes, there are fundamentalists who consider science antithetical to faith and are intolerant enough of different ideas to destroy a library book in order that no one else will be able to read it. I hope the library is holding them liable for replacing the book.

Answer 4

Im more effective Buddhist than Atheist now yet what i'll claim is that i imagine both adult men have valid factors. i imagine Hitchens is ideal that organised faith is a source of many issues interior the international. i assume my project with Dawkins is he's an extremist too so he can come off as being patronising and condescending in any discussions i have seen. I nonetheless imagine many of their factors are valid regardless of the reality that. i'd also upload that Christianity became no longer the driving stress in the back of the IRA it became the will for all counties of eire to hitch the Republic.

Answer 5

Every scientific question/answer pertaining to the Bible on YA automatically gets a majority of thumbs down. Last night on YA, a girl with ultra-Christian parents appeared to have been hacked by her own parents. Information and free intellectual discourse do not appear to be compatible with fundamentalist Christianity.

Answer 6

Yes, because science will prove religion wrong, eventually. They're probably afraid that they'll lose money if people leave their religion. Organized religion....is all about money, and nothing else.

By the way is the book you're talking about "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins?

Answer 7

Sadly, many Christians are intolerant of anything but their own brand of Christianity. But luckily they are destroying the book and not the author.

Answer 8

yes thay hate the idea that the atheists are right the is no god in science the have been case in court over it and creation the christians are trying to put god into science and it has made the usa look like fools all over the world

Answer 9

Hmmm, interesting... I'd like to see proof on that. You are doing a lot of blaming with no proof... Also, I know you are trying not to generalize, but the people do it regardless. Best not to. Religion is not threatened by Science. But if you look at Evolution.... Salvation is threatened by evolution. Some Christians try to accept both. God bless.

Answer 10

"The God Delusion"? You can pick it up on ebay. It most likely wasn't christians destroying the books anyway, probably vandals who tend to destroy new books for the kicks, regardless of what the books are about. I'm guessing you'd rather blame christians for it though, thats the way it usually goes around here.

Answer 11

Hitler burned books. Religious people are destroying those books you want. Whats the difference?