Image via WikipediaOn the Use of Scorn and Ridicule: If you troll around within science-related blogs (and, being a scientist, I do that), you are bound to find a lot of talk about the recently released Ben Stein movie, Expelled. Part of the idea behind the making of this film, I think, is that "Darwinism" is co-extensive with atheism, and also that scientists who are not atheists are (because of their religious beliefs) inevitably subjected to discriminatory and even abusive treatment. You can look at the trailer, here. Anyway, if you are reading the science-related blogs, and their current rants about Expelled, you will see that the atheism theme is unavoidable. It's a growth industry, all this atheism! The atheists are sounding downright giddy, these days! Anyway, a week or so ago I had breakfast with a friend who is both a psychologist and a Lutheran pastor. He asked me whether I was going to go to the film (he was planning to go on its opening day); he seemed excited about it, in part because of his familiarity with (and outrage about) a situation in which a university professor was forced out of his position because of his religious (and "Intelligent Design," I think) beliefs. And at one point, I thought I might go, in part because a friend and fellow blogger, Stephanie West Allen (Brains on Purpose), had sent me links about the movie, and it seems that she thinks it is a good thing (CORRECTION: Stephanie sent the trailers without intending any endorsement or recommendation. Sorry, Stephanie!). So, I watched the first trailer when it came out; and I watched the second trailer, when that came out. And I have read the reviews. And, based on all that, I told my Lutheran friend that I would not be going to see Expelled. Even setting aside all the hoo-rah about the way the film apparently stretches to find some kind of a connection between Darwin's work and the Holocaust... what bothered me about the film was that it employs scorn, ridicule, and straw-man arguments to sell its case against evolutionary theory.
I was disappointed to see Expelled going in this direction. As I have mentioned several times before on this blog, I am personally a doubtful and skeptical person (always striving not to also become a cynical one!); and I am frankly sympathetic to many of the complaints and arguments that atheists make about religion. I read Sam Harris's book The End of Faith, and found it quite compelling and well-reasoned (that's a photo of Sam Harris at the top of this post). But what turns me off about the current gang of prominent atheists (especially those who present their beliefs and arguments in the manner of, for example, Hitchens and Dawkins) is that they approach their "opponents" with outright scorn and ridicule; and they employ straw-man arguments. They set up religion (ALL religion, and ALL spirituality) as a monolithic delusional system in which the religious person is ignorant (congenitally or willfully), blind, suggestible, ridiculous, dangerous, and (at best!) pitiful--all at the same time! And, supposedly, all religious people "believe in 'the talking snake'," as Bill Maher famously proclaims (see: the Book of Genesis)! For an example, you might take a look at a blog, called "Evolved and Rational"; what this blogger puts on her main page reads: "I am an evangelical atheist, anti-appeaser, anti-framer and ardent evolution geek who enjoys toying with creationist minds the way a cat plays with a mouse before devouring it. I will not be responsible for any explosion of creationist brains due to my amazing wit." And that is mild and (indeed) playful, compared the kind of stuff that P.Z. Myers says on his blog, "Pharyngula."
So, here's the thing. I don't want to see Ben Stein's movie, and I'm not going to do so... because I really don't enjoy being in the presence of people who treat each other with scorn, and who distort each other's positions. Doesn't matter to me whether it is a bunch of atheists on very high horses, condescending to non-atheists, or religious people, belittling and ridiculing the work and the ideas of scientists; either way, I don't want to be around it.
I don't think that scorn and ridicule get any of us anywhere, except into a place of greater alienation, and that leads to absolutely nothing good (no, I can't really prove that, either, but I sure as hell believe it).
That's what I don't think. Here's what I do think:
I do think that some scientists who are also religious have been treated (and are being treated) shamefully by their colleagues, and by funding agencies. I know what it's like to get slammed in academia, and it can be utterly devastating.
I think that some people within organized religion have failed (for many reasons) to engage in critical thinking about their religion, their beliefs, and the implications of their beliefs.
I think that science and technology can be used to perpetrate massive harm; and I think that religion can be used to perpetrate massive harm. IN both cases, of course, that has already happened, and is happening, as we speak. But I don't think that human suffering would be eradicated if we also rid ourselves of religion... or if we refused to pursue knowledge, science, and even technology.
I think that some religious beliefs and practices are outlandish; and I think that the conceits of some scientists are also outlandish. But I think that's because humans are just plain prone to outlandishness, in one direction or another (or several, at once, more likely). In fact, this is also why we are interesting, and it is the source of much of our great literature.
Let's all go read some good books (maybe some Flannery O'Connor), have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, talk to each other, and cool off.
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