Why do you think Scientists who question evolution are fired, especially when making claims of GOD?

Question

Coming to a theater near you -- the "Intelligent Design vs. Darwin" debate. The new movie Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, starring Ben Stein, investigates the scientific and educational communities and how they deal with those who suggest that there might be some sort of intelligent design in nature
Producer Mark Mathis says the documentary uncovers a massive effort to silence those who disagree with evolutionary theory.

"The way that the academic elitist and the atheists constantly position this issue is that this is a science versus religion [debate]," he explains. "[They are saying] 'so you folks who have religious views, you have no place here in the real world of science' -- that's how they position it; and it's not true, that's not true. The folks who are doing research in this area of intelligent design are looking at, exclusively at, the science
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/11/new_movie_tackles_darwinian_th.php

Answer 1

Because that isn't science. I would fire a biologist that questioned it to.

Answer 2

For those who put so much faith in peer-review, check this out: http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=2640&program=CSC%20-%20Scientific%20Research%20and%20Scholarship%20-%20Science

What about teaching it in school? I'm sorry, but I have to agree with George Bush: "Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so people can understand what the debate is about . . . Part of education is to expose people to different schools of thought . . . You're asking me whether or not people ought to be exposed to different ideas, the answer is yes.”

Good science teaching should include controversies. But, whenever you mention this kind of stuff, evolutionists jump from their trees and start behaving as if someone had stolen their bananas. Apparently, academic freedom is for other subjects.

As Cal Thomas has said, “Why are believers in one model—evolution—seeking to impose their faith on those who hold that there is scientific evidence which supports the other model? It’s because they fear they will lose their influence and academic power base after a free and open debate. They are like political dictators who oppose democracy, fearing it will rob them of power.”

Most Christians I know don't want biblical creationism taught in science classes. What we want is for molecules-to-man evolution to be taught with all its warts (they are not even allowed to present evidence that would put evolution in a poor light). And we want intelligent design to at least to be presented. Unlike leprechauns and unicorns, etc., a significant percentage of the population believes in ID.

Answer 3

A person who brings religion and non-supported beliefs into the scientific community has not place in the community. If a scientists brought up the idea that electricity isn't real, and instead there was little fairies that moved energy in the wires, they would be fired. This is because they would be bringing in a belief that not only had no evidence, it contradicted known science. That same is for this topic. If a scientists used non-evidence and contradicts known facts, they are not being good scientists.

Answer 4

There is absolutely nothing in the theory of evolution, or its proponents which is incompatible with the belief that it is generated or guided by "God" if you choose to do so.

However, those who claim that "Intelligent Design" is science, or who ignore or distort data to support their preconceived conclusion of "Creation" are not doing science, and thus are rightly shunned and disciplined by other scientists.

Simply saying "We can't understand this... God must have done it." is NOT science.

Ignoring millions of pieces of data from radiometric tests, fossil evidence and biogeographic distributions, and shoehorning a handful of phenomena that might, just maybe, kind of, sorta fit into a rigid box to support a young Earth is NOT science.

Therefore, those individuals that do it are not scientists.

And to think I actually used to have some respect for Ben Stein.

Answer 5

First of all, let's correct a claim here: let it be on the record that it is illegal to fire a scientist for their religious beliefs. Quite simply, it just doesn't happen.

With that said, intelligent design is not science. The reasons for this are simple:

- It is not a theory, because a theory begins with a hypothesis concerning the behaviour of natural systems. ID predicts and proposes no such behaviours.

- It isn't backed up with any evidence. (And no, Behe and his kin saying "its hard for eyes to evolve" is not "evidence.")

Employers who have scientists on the payroll expect their scientists to do science. Whatever their religious beliefs, on the job they should simply keep to the science... and if they don't, well, finding oneself out of work might not be terribly surprising.

Answer 6

The answer to your question is that I don't think scientists who question evolution are fired. But the proper way to get intelligent design accepted by the scientific community is the same way any other idea get accepted. Come up with a testable hypothesis. You need to have tests to show whether it can be falsified, as well as evidence to support it. If it stands up to your own tests, then you are ready to submit it for peer review. Publish it in scientific publications. Other scientists will then try to disprove it, but if your hypothesis is correct it will stand up.

There is no big conspiracy among scientist to suppress any dissent from evolution. It just has to meet the same tests as any other hypothesis.

Answer 7

Well for once that has happened to biology teachers on schools who adopted the intelligent design. Also it's not bad to question science or evolution, is fine to do so even they still do every day, but please, if you do , use at least some empirical evidence, not fantasy and faith to make it pass as reality.

That's what gets them fired, questioning science with faith. You don't have any evidence of a superior creator, how can any scientist impose that as evidence for creation?

Science corrects itself as it goes along, but with evidence and facts, not blind faith and superstition.

Answer 8

It is difficult to understand from the political perspective, but Karl Marx has influenced a lot of the left in the United States. I'm not sure why, but the political perspective of capitalism and socialism are the two polls that lean one left and right. And the left has a tendency to reject some elements of family and religion. The reasoning goes that family and religion is not intelligent, and what we need is help from the state. This is one place that state education is almost sacred to some. They might say you are helping children get out of the ignorance of the backwards ways of the uneducated. So the family and religion is not in control of the state and is therefore backwards. These attitudes have been built for many years in history. It has taken some time for them to come this far.

Another simpiler explanation is that there will always be evil in the world, and ignorance is one way to lead people astray. If one is not open to science, however, one is not open to another form of God's truth. So it is important for believers to not remove themselves from society and reject science. Yet Christ will dispel ignorance in the end. Believer or non-believer, he is out to conquer all hearts.

Answer 9

If I hired an English teacher and it turns out he doesn't speak the language I'd fire him too. Deservedly so.
Nobody will fire a biologist for questioning evolution, questioning evolution is what evolution research can be about. But if they waste their time with trying to push religion instead of science they are in the wrong job.
Intelligent design is easily disproven, so if that's their primary research project they are wasting time and money. If it's their hobby and they are doing good with their (non-evolution related) primary research project nobody will fire them.

Answer 10

I can't say until the movie comes out and I have a chance to actually get a list of the scientists who claim to have been fired. Until then, any guess on my part about what's going on would be premature.

Answer 11

huh......seems like the real issue is that religious people are pissed off they are not being allowed to cheat...because that is a fact..the religious want to cheat.

They want to bypass all the steps every other science field had to go thru and get right to classroom.....well T.S.

"It is...not fair, just because I have no proof, data, positive peer review, scientific consensus...boo who"