In relation to queries from a fellow small grouper I started looking around at some science-based blogs just to see what was going on in them. Unfortunately I can't say that I am overly impressed with the themes, maturity or representations of scientists that I have found on most. Most in fact just seem to be a tantrum pit for atheistic scientists to sound off and whine about about those who have different points of view to themselves.
Take for example this recent news story (1 , 2) about a Creationist (capitol C, i.e. someone subscribing to literal interpretations of the book of Genesis) stabbing to death an evolutionist (just about anyone else).
The media naturally reports the incident, sensationalizing the matter by emphasing the creation/evolution argument the individuals were having before the stabbing incident took place (which was after all involved got drunk). To their credit though they emphasise that the parties involved were drunk and that the judge believed this to be abnormal behaviour for the guilty party.
Good, some balance.
This is not to excuse what the guy with the knife did in anyway at all. It was still wrong and ended in tragic consequences.
What I find actually disgusting is the way that several of the aforementioned blogs use this incident to bash Creationism and people who support it. While I have little patience with Creationism pushed as a fundamental tenant of Christianity, I hold equally if not less patience for this type of stupidly conceived, immature, reactionary and frankly twatish behaviour from the 'other side' of the argument.
Examples are of such behaviour are here and here.
Phil Plait (whose blog I have in general been enjoying recently) offers a bit of fairness, but even then can't resist a few digs and comments while ignoring the details of the case.
What actually ticks me off the most here is that the authors of these blogs are actually scientists, working at universities and yet they demonstrate such a juvenile level of argument. I know the situation in the States is vastly more polarised in terms of evolution/creation than it is here in the UK, but still, come on!
If you want to let off steam in such a way, good for you. It might make you look a fool, but essentially harms nobody. The beauty of the Net. However, don't go and put your name, profession and place of employment on it, not unless you are prepared to state your point and defend it in such a way and in such a manner that you show that you rightly deserve your position.
Part of the reason that Creationism can take such a hold is that the public (who are actually not stupid) can see when we scientists are talking crap and merely throwing our rattles out of our baby pens. This puts people right off not only what we are saying to them at that point (however valid it is), but also science in general and makes them increasingly unlikely to listen to what we might say in future.
In this case especially it is obvious that the bloggers I have mentioned are being very, very selective in what facts they use (as they link to the complete story) and the language they use in presenting their case is frankly poor, deliberately divisive and off putting at best.
Both the media and the bloggers in question have also put the emphasis on the evolution/creation argument the individuals were having before the stabbing took place. That may be true, but who else knows what was said or what was even argued right before the stabbing? It's immaterial to what happened. The argument may just as well have been about life on Mars, MOND and Dark Matter, Chickens and Eggs or even the existence Marmite gateaux. I seriously doubt the finer points of biology were in the forefront of either mind at the time of the stabbing. And if they were, it could just as easily have been the other way round with another two people.
I have titled this post 'Reprehensible' as these bloggers are indeed in need of serious rebuke, not just as ambassadors of science to the wider world, but also as decent, human beings. Somebody got killed. For no reason. Stop. Using. It.
If the authors of the blogs I've linked to ever read this, guys, please:
1) Show a little bit of respect to *all* sides involved in this particularly case,
2) Get the chips of your shoulders and learn to engage with people who have different beliefs to yourselves rather than just ear(Bible)-bashing them. You may never agree with them or persuade them that they are wrong, but that's all part of living in the real world.
And
3) Stop making our jobs as scientists harder by sounding off without thinking first.
This all reminds me of a saying one of my primary school teachers used to say... "If everyone in the world was just like me, I wonder what sort of world it would be?"
[Rant over]
May 22, 2013
35 minutes ago
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