In 1997, the science journal Nature reported that 40 percent of scientists in the U.S. believed in a personal God—the same amount as had believed eighty years prior. However, when those results were filtered to include only members of the National Academy of Sciences, the number dropped to 10 percent. A Pew survey taken in 2009 records that 33 percent of scientists believe in God and another 18 percent in a higher power, compared to 94 percent of the general public. On the list of long-ago scientists who believed in God are Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, and Newton; more modern names have been added, such as Lord Kelvin, Max Planck, and Francis Collins.

So, to say that scientists don't believe in God is a gross generalization. However, it is true that there are fewer believers in God among professionals in the scientific community than among the general public. Why?

For some scientists, atheism is a matter of faith, not of evidence. Hungarian biologist George Klein wrote to a Christian colleague, "I am indeed an atheist. My attitude is not based on science but rather on faith, just as you have your faith. The absence of a creator, the nonexistence of God is my childhood faith, my adult belief, unshakable and holy."

Other scientists deny God's existence because of a commitment to materialism. Francis Crick, a molecular biologist, biophysicist, and neuroscientist, was a materialist to the core. Materialism teaches that there is nothing in the cosmos besides matter and energy. The supernatural does not exist, and there is no such thing as thought, consciousness, or the soul. Crick even went so far as to predict that science would one day find that the act of prayer changes a neurotransmitter in the brain and induces a positive effect on the person praying.

Some scientists reject faith because of personal experiences. Marie Curie, the only scientist to win two Nobel Prizes in two different science categories, became an atheist or agnostic after the deaths of her mother and sister. It's possible that this loss influenced her theological beliefs. Alan Turing, a mathematician and groundbreaking computer scientist, lost faith in God after the death of his first love. Refusing to believe a loving God would allow her death, Turing embraced materialism.

Some scientists simply see no use for God. Paul Dirac was a forefather of quantum mechanics. He believed science was well on its way to describing the universe in detail, and he saw religion as a political tool. String-theorist Brian Greene says, "Most scientists like to operate in the context of economy. If you don't need an explanatory principle, don't invoke it."

Some atheistic scientists come from a religious background and purposefully reject it. Richard Leakey, a paleontologist and conservationist from Kenya, is the grandson of missionaries but was disillusioned with any kind of faith in God.

Some scientists see faith and science as mutually exclusive. James Watson, who with Francis Crick discovered the double-helix structure of DNA, thought belief in God would preclude his love of science. He loved science more than God.

There are scientists who simply don't bother thinking about God. Steven Weinberg, a Nobel Prize laureate for his work in particle physics, said, "The experience of being a scientist makes religion seem fairly irrelevant. Most scientists I know simply don't think about it very much. They don't think about religion enough to qualify as practicing atheists."

Some scientists are religious but deny any reality beyond tradition and ritual. Oliver Sacks, the neurologist portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie Awakenings, loves religion and feels comfortable in both Orthodox Jewish and Catholic settings. He explains that "nature itself seems so wonderful that I don't feel a hunger for any concept beyond it."

In short, scientists reject faith in God for the same reasons anyone else does. Their atheism is built on some foundational choices:

1) They choose to worship "created things rather than the Creator" (Romans 1:25 NIV).
2) They choose to embrace "opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Timothy 6:20 NIV).
3) They choose to retain their sin instead of repenting (John 3:19).
4) They choose to limit their definition of truth to what can be empirically discovered. Unfortunately, the truth of God cannot be discovered via the scientific method. "The world through its wisdom did not know him" (1 Corinthians 1:21 NIV).
5) They choose pride over humility (James 4:6).

One other reason for their rejection of God has to do with the enemy of their souls. "The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers" (2 Corinthians 4:4). We must never forget that we are involved in a spiritual battle. The human intellect, no matter how lofty, must be redeemed by Christ.

God gives grace to the humble. "For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards … But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise" (1 Corinthians 1:26-27).

Of course, not all scientists reject God. Dr. Francis S. Collins is the former head of the National Human Genome Research Institute. As a young man, Collins was well on his way to atheism when a woman dying of heart disease confronted him about his beliefs. He realized that none of his scientific work answered the bigger questions in life. Later, a minister gave him C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. Something about the irrefutability of natural moral law resonated with him, and he became a Christian.

Ifa priest

Science is all about making sense of things and frankly most things in religion don't make any sense unless ofcourse you put it up against another religion.

osamaBUSH:
Science is all about making sense of things and frankly most things in religion don't make any sense unless ofcourse you put up against another religion.

Your opinion

[size=18pt]Einstein[/size] was not an atheist, explaining at one point: "I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal god is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."[1] According to Prince Hubertus, Einstein said, "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_Albert_Einstein#Agnosticism.2C_deism.2C_and_atheism

To say that the vast majority of great scientists do not believe in a personal god is not a gross generalization, but an overwhelming truth.

According to a meta-analysis on the subject in a 2002 Mensa article (Mensa is the society of individuals with high IQs) that acutely piqued my interest to the extent that I held onto it, among others. The author, Bell, wrote:

"...Of 43 studies carried out since 1927 on the relationship between religious belief and one's intelligence and/or educational level, all but four found an inverse connection. That is, the higher one's intelligence or education level, the less one is likely to be religious or hold "beliefs" of any kind."

Religion is chock full of gaps even the unseasoned layman is wont to challenge and dismantle with ease. It should come as no surprise to observe that the intelligent, scientific elite are lacking in 'faith' (which is, in essence, belief without cause and/or evidence, and thus goes against the very nature of science and the principles of the scientific mind). I would go so far as to posit that the figure of scientists said to believe in a deity in the OP (40%) are entirely blown up relative to reality due to the still evident stigma of professing complete and utter atheism.

Alan Turing .....hmn....I just remembered the movie, "Imitation game" Well some people choose to worship their mind/brains....at least they can feel the impact it has on them rather than narrated account of past event which might be authentic or not (according to them)

EnlightenedSoul:
To say that the vast majority of great scientists do not believe in a personal god is not a gross generalization, but an overwhelming truth.

According to a meta-analysis on the subject in a 2002 Mensa article (Mensa is the society of individuals with high IQs) that acutely piqued my interest to the extent that I held onto it, among others. The author, Bell, wrote:

"...Of 43 studies carried out since 1927 on the relationship between religious belief and one's intelligence and/or educational level, all but four found an inverse connection. That is, the higher one's intelligence or education level, the less one is likely to be religious or hold "beliefs" of any kind."

Religion is chock full of gaps even the unseasoned layman is wont to challenge and dismantle with ease. It should come as no surprise to observe that the intelligent, scientific elite are lacking in 'faith' (which is, in essence, belief without cause and/or evidence, and thus goes against the very nature of science and the principles of the scientific mind). I would go so far as to posit that the figure of scientists said to believe in a deity in the OP (40%) are entirely blown up relative to reality due to the still evident stigma of professing complete and utter atheism.

Sorry? Stigma? Evident? Where? In the West or in Africa?

One of my dearest mentors, a natural scientist, who retired two years ago, said that his profession didn't make him believe less in a supreme form of intelligence but the more. The more he understood how beautifully and perfectly designed the universe is, the deeper his faith became. This man lives in a country where atheism is en vogue. This is an isolated case but there are plenty of scientists who share his view and those who don't, definitely don't hide them due to some imaginary stigma.

Science and religion are not mutually exclusive.

They choose to embrace "opposing ideas of
what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Timothy 6:20
NIV).

When you consider the impacts these scientists who chose to embrace "opposing ideas" have made on the world against those who don't embrace it, you'll understand the main reason why most of them don't belive in God.

Religion kills curiosity and since curiosity is the tenet of scientific discoveries and inventions, they will always choose to be curious. As a result, they inadvertently become opponents of religion and everything that restrains the acquisition of knowledge.

And I think it's a pretty good stance for humanity to adopt since more than a million years of practising religion hasn't gotten us anywhere.

Mindfulness:


Sorry? Stigma? Evident? Where? In the West or in Africa?

One of my dearest mentors, a natural scientist, who retired two years ago, said that his profession didn't make him believe less in a supreme form of intelligence but the more. The more he understood how beautifully and perfectly designed the universe is, the deeper his faith became. This man lives in a country where atheism is en vogue. This is an isolated case but there are plenty of scientists who share his view and those who don't, definitely don't hide them due to some imaginary stigma.

Science and religion are not mutually exclusive.

Beautiful piece!

YourCoffin:
They choose to embrace "opposing ideas of
what is falsely called knowledge" (1 Timothy 6:20
NIV).

When you consider the impacts these scientists who chose to embrace "opposing ideas" have made on the world against those who don't embrace it, you'll understand the main reason why most of them don't belive in God.

Religion kills curiosity and since curiosity is the tenet of scientific discoveries and inventions, they will always choose to be curious. As a result, they inadvertently become opponents of religion and everything that restrains the acquisition of knowledge.

And I think it's a pretty good stance for humanity to adopt since more than a million years of practising religion hasn't gotten us anywhere.

Your opinion

Mindfulness:
[size=18pt]Einstein[/size] was not an atheist, explaining at one point: "I have repeatedly said that in my opinion the idea of a personal god is a childlike one. You may call me an agnostic, but I do not share the crusading spirit of the professional atheist whose fervor is mostly due to a painful act of liberation from the fetters of religious indoctrination received in youth. I prefer an attitude of humility corresponding to the weakness of our intellectual understanding of nature and of our own being."[1] According to Prince Hubertus, Einstein said, "In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_views_of_Albert_Einstein#Agnosticism.2C_deism.2C_and_atheism

You say he was not an atheist but I insist he was. I know he was never a Christian. Christianity goes beyond saying nice things about the faith. Everybody knows he doesn't even look Christian!

AnnieOakley:


You say he was not an atheist but I insist he was. I know he was never a Christian. Christianity goes beyond saying nice things about the faith. Everybody knows he doesn't even look Christian!

He was Jewish! Or at least his family was.

This is why he left Germany. He was fleeing from the Nazis.

Some of his letters have been published recently from which we know that he believed in God. You don't have to be Christian to believe in God.

I believe in Spinoza's God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with the fates and actions of human beings.
(Albert Einstein, responding to Rabbi Herbert Goldstein who had sent Einstein a cablegram bluntly demanding "Do you believe in God?" Quoted from Victor J. Stenger, Has Science Found God? 2001, chapter 3.)

I cannot conceive of a personal God who would directly influence the actions of individuals, or would directly sit in judgment on creatures of his own creation. I cannot do this in spite of the fact that mechanistic causality has, to a certain extent, been placed in doubt by modern science. [He was speaking of Quantum Mechanics and the breaking down of determinism.] My religiosity consists in a humble admiration of the infinitely superior spirit that reveals itself in the little that we, with our weak and transitory understanding, can comprehend of reality. Morality is of the highest importance -- but for us, not for God. (Albert Einstein,The Human Side, edited by Helen Dukas and Banesh Hoffman, Princeton University Press)


In 1940 Time magazine quoted Einstein lauding the Catholic Church for its role in opposing the Nazis:

Only the Church stood squarely across the path of Hitler's campaign for suppressing truth. I never had any special interest in the Church before, but now I feel a great affection and admiration because the Church alone has had the courage and persistence to stand for intellectual truth and moral freedom. I am forced thus to confess that what I once despised I now praise unreservedly





Einstein was a cool.

I share many of his beliefs.

Mindfulness:


He was Jewish! Or at least his family was.

This is why he left Germany. He was fleeing from the Nazis.

Some of his letters have been published recently from which we know that he believed in God. You don't have to be Christian to believe in God.

He believed in God you say. Do you know what his theory of relativity is all about?

AnnieOakley:


He believed in God you say. Do you know what his theory of relativity is all about?

Of course I do. I am a big fan of Albert Einstein and I am quite interested in physics.

Mindfulness:


Of course I do. I am a big fan of Albert Einstein and I am quite interested in physics.

Ok. Einstein only professed 'faith' in a pantheistic God Baruch Spinoza but not in a personal God.

AnnieOakley:


Ok. Einstein only professed 'faith' in a pantheistic God Baruch Spinoza but not in a personal God.

So?

Mindfulness:


So?

It goes back to the question: Why don't scientists believe in God, the true God?

AnnieOakley:


It goes back to the question: Why don't scientists believe in God, the true God?

Many scientists DO believe in God but I don't know of anyone who believes in an "untrue God".
What is a "true God"?

Mindfulness:


Many scientists DO believe in God but I don't know of anyone who believes in an "untrue God".
What is a "true God"?

To answer that question, let me ask you one: What is that one thing you know that you know that you know... to be true?

AnnieOakley:


To answer that question, let me ask you one: What is that one thing you know that you know that you know?

I know that I know nothing.

Socratic paradox.

Mindfulness:


I know that I know nothing.

Socratic paradox.

You know nothing about what exactly?

AnnieOakley:


You know nothing about what exactly?

I know NOTHING with absolute certainty.

Mindfulness:


I know NOTHING with absolute certainty.

Can you define your Nothing, please?

Okay, okay... Enough of this. This is why I don't dig philosophy.

But do you know that research showed that higher intelligence is linked to pride or, should I say, lack of believe in a God?

AnnieOakley:

He believed in God you say. Do you know what his theory of relativity is all about?

What about it? The relativity theory has not been fully applied to depths of deep understanding. On the surface it may seem opposing to any Supreme being ideal but newer research are proving such premises as incorrect.

Research into quantum physics has shown that there seems to be a deterministic threshold to almost everything in the universe. Nothing is random. This alone throws all notions held by some people out of the window.

Even medical research into how the brain works tells us our brain knowns beforehand of any action that you would take. Like there's a video recorder there in the head which just plays and we act it out.

What does that tell you?

Basic fact is. Science is learning. Heck we only know 10% of what lies in the ocean that surrounds us let alone billions of kilometres away in the milky way. We were just able to capture an high res image of Pluto for the first. Just imagine.

Any scientist who would come to such abrupt conclusion needs serious help.

AnnieOakley:


Can you define your Nothing, please?

Okay, okay... Enough of this. This is why I don't dig philosophy.

But do you know that research showed that higher intelligence is linked to pride or, should I say, lack of believe in a God?

It is not that simple but I have to go now dear Annie. I will try and answer later. Am running late already because of you.

onegig:


What about it? The relativity theory has not been fully applied to depths of deep understanding. On the surface it may seem opposite to any Supreme being ideal but newer research are proving such premises as incorrect.

Newer research into quantum physics has shown that there seems to be deterministic threshold to almost everything in the universe. Nothing is random. This alone throwns all notions held by some people out of the window.

What does that tell you?

We're in agreement on this.

All truth is God's truth, someone once said. Science and God are not in conflict and never will be. The problem is with us humans.

AnnieOakley:


We're in agreement on this.

All truth is God's truth, someone once said. Science and God are not in conflict and never will be. The problem is with us humans.

Humans would be humans. Once you learn that, you can move on with your work.

What's the topic of the thread again by the way?

onegig:


Humans would be humans. Once you learn that, you can move on with your work.

What's the topic of the thread again by the way?

Connection between higher intelligence and belief in a supreme being.

Ask them

[size=13pt]BECAUSE GOD ALSO DONT BELIEVE IN THEM[/size]