Archive for October 2008

Oct312008

Science vs. Faith

Science vs. Faith [image]

Oct282008

‘Proud, Boastful Ignoramus’

I’ve always felt 50-50 about Christopher Hitchens. While he calls it as he sees it, he’s rarely tactful. I tend to find his writing style full of unnecessary references and ramblings. But his article on Sarah Palin’s war on science is right on the money. He begins by noting her willful ignorance of fruit fly research:

Oct272008

Being Human

In the essay Being human: Religion: Bound to believe?, Pascal Boyer delves into the evolution of religion.

Is religion a product of our evolution? The very question makes many people, religious or otherwise, cringe, although for different reasons. Some people of faith fear that an understanding of the processes underlying belief could undermine it. Others worry that what is shown to be part of our evolutionary heritage will be interpreted as good, true, necessary or inevitable. Still others, many scientists included, simply dismiss the whole issue, seeing religion as childish, dangerous nonsense.