{link » Conservatives & Science (3)}
“The concern that I suspect is shared by many of us right-leaning scientists is that people like your correspondent are so consumed by fear that they are willing to throw rationality under the bus if they think this sacrifice is necessary to preserve whatever it is they happen to hold dear. Thus, he defends creationists even though he readily admits that they are promulgating ideas that are wrong from every scientific angle! This position is not “conservative” or “liberal”. It is deeply irrational. When a student tells me that he doesn’t “believe” in 14C dating am I supposed to excuse him because he is reacting to “rabid New Atheists”? No. I tell him he is wrong, teach him how the world really works as best we understand it, and tell him that he will have to deal with the consequences this has for his world view. I feel sympathy for such kids. By building their sense of morality on an unsound foundation their creationist parents and ministers have done them a deep disservice. They have set them up for confusion and failure in life. This practice is not something that conservatives should defend.”If, like me, you are a fan of rationality, I recommend this quoted post in its entirety.
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