Science and Religion Around the Blogosphere

(Or “Einstein the Atheist Wraps Anti-Evolutionists in Poison Ivy Flagella”)

Those who claim evolution makes no predictions need to go roll around in poison ivy. For some, experiential learning works best.

Mark Perrakh talks about what bacterial flagella really look like. Doppelganger asks if what is good for the Haeckel is also good for the Dembski. AIG Busted points to an NPR essay entitled “I am Evolution”. Open Parachute has been looking at the “Dissent from Darwinism” list.

Is ERV right that Einstein was an atheist after all? That conclusion seems unlikely in view of his other statements on the subject, so either his views need to be nuanced more precisely, or they developped over the course of his life. Personally, I think ERV mistakes rejection of religion and even theism for rejection of any possible meaningful concept of, and use of the term, God. See the article about Einstein’s letter that brought this up. Plenty of people reject the Bible and specific religious ideas without being “atheists”. The term “atheist” is itself confusing, since it is often unclear whether those who use the label understand it to mean a rejection of every notion of God, or a rejection of theism. Depending on one’s definition, pantheism may be a tertium quid left out of consideration, or a “sexed-up” form of atheism. At any rate, Einstein’s view of the term “god” as impoverished and human is one that plenty of mystics and theologians would share! [My only reason for using the Latin “tertium quid” is I think it would be a cool name for a blog, for someone who is as concerned about identifying middle ground and more than two options in various debates and discussions].

I hate when fundamentalists quote scientists – or the Bible – out of context. Supporters of evolution and science in general, please let’s lead by example and not treat short quotations as definitive proof of someone’s views on a topic! Go to Pharyngula for what seems to me to be a better treatment of this piece of news.

Mark Goodacre, April DeConick and Loren Rosson have been discussing oral tradition.

There are reviews of “Faith”, the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica (which I have yet to watch).