I saw this on Hannity & Combs (Fox News) Why? I do not believe this man should have been fired! Doesn't he have freedom of religion? Hannity & Combs will air again at 11:00pm EDT Then you can see it for yourself.
2007-12-21 14:45:09 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Actually, I was wrong. The O'reilly Factor airs at 11:00pm EDT. Then Hannity & Combs airs at 12:00am EDT.
2007-12-21 14:52:59 · update #1
I don't know how old it is and I don't care. "Old News" Doesn't answer the question. The fact is: It was on Hannity & Combs earlier tonight. I do not have ESP. I only watch Fox News because the rest of them either do not cover important topics, or they seem to side too far to one side of the political spectrum.
2007-12-21 14:56:53 · update #2
So do people deserve religious freedom only when they don't believe in God?
I am not a creationist, but I person should not be terminated for their religious beliefs.
2007-12-21 14:50:29 · answer #1 · answered by Cheryl S 5 · 1⤊ 6⤋
It will be an interesting case, but I think something doesn't sound quite kosher about it, especially since the man was fired over three years ago. I also find it very strange that a researcher did not know or ask about what sort of research they would be conducting, especially at a prominent research facility - this is like a pacifist appling for work at a well known weapons manufacturer and then saying "I didn't realize they made weapons."
However, it does bring up an interesting problem as he was in a job where he was researching something against his beliefs. This is similar to vegetarian working in a meat packing plant, why would one wish to work in a situation like that.
2007-12-21 14:58:21 · answer #2 · answered by Pirate AM™ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is old news. This man's job required him to deal with evolution. He took the job without revealing that he didn't believe in that which he would be studying. His case had already been thrown out once. Now he is appealing.
Do a bit of research. You may feel differently if you understand the whole case.
2007-12-21 14:54:45 · answer #3 · answered by Trina™ 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
If a biologist does not understand evolution or at least consider it on the job, then he or she may not be able to perform well.
It's kind of like someone who wants to enter a field of basket weaving, but they refuse to consider the past 500 years of knotting techniques. Or an iPod developer who refuses to acknowledge the past 25 years of computer research, including the microchip and touch pad.
Maybe you haven't studied evolution, but it's one of the key parts of biology today. Everything from genes, organisms, mutations, adaptations, and the relation between species is explained by evolution. It's enormously useful, and it fits the evidence. Not believing in evolution is not about wanting a real discussion of evolution as a theory, it's about using a religion to hide scientific understanding and to prevent further research in this area.
Consider intelligent design, a pseudoscience. Ever heard of "irreducible complexity?" It doesn't explain why evolution would be incorrect as a phenomenon, it simply claims that there is a supernatural reason for things like the human eye, and by logic, that some parts of biology are outside of our understanding. In other words, intelligent design is the antithesis of science, which is about researching natural processes through observation, not saying a "god did it" as an excuse for that process (regardless if you believe in deities or not).
I don't know the exact story, so I can't comment on specifics. But freedom of religion is not the same thing as desiring a scientist who understands his field. Nearly half of scientists believe in a god and do not have to put forth pseudoscience as an excuse for research. Let's not equate understanding biology to curtailing religious freedom.
If he can do his job well, then it doesn't matter what religion he is. But if he uses his religion to prevent him from understanding his field or doing his job well, then it's fine to fire him on that basis.
2007-12-21 14:53:53 · answer #4 · answered by Dalarus 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
As far as I am aware the job involved working in evolutionary principles which he didn't want to work on
Also it's a bit odd that he waited 3 years to do it
2007-12-22 00:19:11 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't watch that garbage. I would be interested in hearing more about the case, but not from a show that will only present one side of the story.
2007-12-21 14:53:43 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Um. The entire study of biology is centered on evolution. If he doesn't believe in it, he's not actually qualified for the job. Especially that particular job, which focused on studies pertaining to evolution.
Kind of like a Christian Scientist wanting to be a pharmacist. Doesn't work. Conflict of interest.
2007-12-21 14:50:34 · answer #7 · answered by KC 7 · 8⤊ 1⤋
Because the principles of evolution are a basic component of biology, and biology cannot be studied without those basic principles. It is amazing that anyone these days doesn't understand basic science, but then again, most people only care about Britney, her sister, and the latest reality tv star.
2007-12-21 14:50:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 1⤋
Are you serious? Would you want someone who's answer is "I don't know, god did it" in YOUR research lab?! At the VERY least that type of attitude stifles progress and at the worst cripples our scientific prowess as a nation. Take a little time to think about these kinds of things!
2007-12-21 14:51:04 · answer #9 · answered by Dashes 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Hm, on Fox News. What a surprise.
If this is actually true and not a wildly spun exaggeration of the facts, I'd guess that he was fired because anybody who doesn't believe in evolution can't be trusted to be logical or reasonable in any capacity.
2007-12-21 14:48:31 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 3⤋
I really have not idea what you are talking about. Something about a biologist and evolution and Fox.
2007-12-21 15:00:18 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋