Why is it that most of the greatest scientists in history have been theists, pantheists and agnostics?

Question

And to add to the wonder of it, the greatest philosopher in the world today is also a theist (Alvin Platinga). What is the reason for this seemingly positive relationship between the greatest minds and God?

Answer 1

Not true. We can find evidence for whatever broad statement we make like that....we can all find evidence to support the conclusion we've already reached.

Answer 2

Pretty much everyone up until two hundred years ago was, on the religion scale going from radical to atheist, at least agnostic. You could link an infinite number of behaviors to your same proposal. "How come over the centuries, the only people eating sausage were religious? Does God like sausages?" "Why have all cowherds been religious? That must mean that cows really are holy."

Many of those same scientists in history did their best work while working under the presumption that the earth was flat and the center of the universe. I would no more ascribe to those beliefs than I would to their religion.

Answer 3

Although evolutionists interpret the evidence in light of their belief in evolution, science works perfectly well without any connection to evolution. Think about it this way: is a belief in molecules-to-man evolution necessary to understand how a computer works, how planets orbit the sun, how telescopes operate, or how plants and animals function? Has any biological or medical research benefited from a belief in evolution? No, not at all.

In fact, the Ph.D. cell biologist (and creationist) Dr. David Menton, who speaks at many conferences, has stated, “The fact is that, though widely believed, evolution contributes nothing to our understanding of empirical science and thus plays no essential role in biomedical research or education.”3

Nor has technology arisen due to a belief in evolution. Computers, cellular phones and DVD players all operate based on the laws of physics which God created. It is because God created a logical, orderly universe and gave us the ability to reason and to be creative that technology is possible. How can a belief in evolution (a belief that complex biological machines do not require an intelligent designer) aid in the development of complex machines which are clearly intelligently designed?

Technology has shown us that sophisticated machines require intelligent designers—not random chance. Science and technology are perfectly consistent with the Bible.

So it shouldn’t be surprising that there have been many scientists who believed in biblical creation. In my own research field of astrophysics, I am reminded of several of the great minds of history. Consider Isaac Newton, who co-discovered calculus, formulated the laws of motion and gravity, computed the nature of planetary orbits, invented the reflecting telescope and made a number of discoveries in optics.

Consider Johannes Kepler, who discovered the three laws of planetary motion, or James Clerk Maxwell who discovered the four fundamental equations that light and all forms of electromagnetic radiation obey. These great scientists believed the Bible.

Today as well, there are many Ph.D. scientists who reject evolution and instead believe that God created in six days as recorded in Scripture. Consider Dr. Russ Humphreys, a Ph.D. nuclear physicist who has developed (among many other things) a model to compute the present strength of planetary magnetic fields4 which was able to predict the field strengths of the outer planets. Did a belief in the Bible hinder his research? Not at all.

On the contrary, Dr. Humphreys was able to make these predictions precisely because he started from the principles of Scripture. Dr. John Baumgardner, a Ph.D. geophysicist and biblical creationist, has a model of catastrophic plate tectonics, which the journal Nature once featured (this model is based on the global Genesis Flood).

Additionally, think of all the people who have benefited from a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan. The MRI scanner was developed by the creationist Dr. Raymond Damadian5 who has been featured twice in Creation magazine.

Clearly, creationists can indeed be real scientists. And this shouldn’t be surprising since the very basis for scientific research is biblical creation. The universe is orderly because its Creator is logical and has imposed order on the universe. God created our minds and gave us the ability and curiosity to study the universe. Furthermore, we can trust that the universe will obey the same physics tomorrow as it does today because God is consistent. This is why science is possible.

On the other hand, if the universe is just an accidental product of a big bang, why should it be orderly? Why should there be laws of nature if there is no lawgiver? If our brains are the by-products of random chance, why should we trust that their conclusions are accurate? But if our minds have been designed, and if the universe has been constructed by the Lord as the Bible teaches, then of course we should be able to study nature.

Answer 4

*sighs* They weren't. Quit twisting the truth. A philosopher isn't a scientist, idiot. And, in the past, if you didn't say you were Christian (whether you were or not), the Christians would torture and murder you in the most horrific ways imaginable. As for modern days, well... in the modern world, most scientists are Atheist.

Do you remember what happened to Galileo? The religious almost utterly destroyed him. He had to recant his theories and proclaim Christianity or he'd have been killed. Go read a history book and get your facts straight so you stop looking like a fool.

Answer 5

Because most of the greatest scientists in history would have been ostracized and possibly burnt at the stake if they had publicly denounced Christianity. I presume you're not including Newton (alchemic dabbler and non-believer in the Trinity, despite being at Trinity College), and Einstein (Jewish/Atheist).

Sadly, the one scientist who did regret his theories because of his beliefs was Darwin, but that doesn't stop him getting an awful lot of bile from Christians.

Alvin Platinga? I admit I've never even heard of him, so I have to wonder at his credentials.

Answer 6

Unsubstantiated assertion + Logical fallacy = Nonsense.

Until recently, dissent from the idea that the Universe is the result of a deliberate act of creation was socially, politically and observationally untenable.

Now that is no longer the case.

Answer 7

Do you know what they really thought , or just what they wanted people to think of them . A few years ago , you were thought of as some kind of a nut if you had no religious superstitions . Many very intelligent people faked their non-belief for business , family , or political reasons .
Without being able to read minds , we have no way of knowing just what they thought or believed .
"Things are not what what they seem " Longfellow .

Answer 8

I don't know who you've learned your history from, kid, but the greatest of all minds in History have been atheists or agnostics. You have been misinformed.

Alvin Plantinga? Please. Everyone with half a brain knows he's a moron.

Even the Pantheists in the days of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, if they were of extensive education then they were Atheist, regardless of what ever sort of front they gave to the public.

Answer 9

Who decides who is the greatest philosopher, btw?

And do you know what the definition of an agnostic is?

Answer 10

The greatest minds aren't limited to concrete and specific assumptions about what God is (or isn't), the way most lay theists are.

If a lot of Atheists could open their minds to the infinite possibilities of what "God" might really be, they probably would stop just assuming outright that no such thing could ever have existed.

Answer 11

Well one thing to keep in mind is many of these people lived many years ago, at a time when religion was more common. For example, it was much more common for families 100 years ago to go to church, then for people to go today.