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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be surprised that a scientist with a doctorate is religious

775 replies

Margaritapracataz · 22/09/2015 07:45

I assumed she was joking, but no she's a very intelligent woman (double first) but she has deeply religious beliefs.

Aibu to think this is a bit strange and to think less of her professionally?

OP posts:
KevinAndMe · 22/09/2015 09:50

it would be great if religion was a private matter but it seems necessary that religious types want to spread the word and make it very much part of public life

No being gay is not a belief but it still is part of your private life. Just like your belief.

A professional person will not let that come out (as in trying to convince you) whilst at work anymore than they would think less of you if you don't share that belief.

At least that's what most reasonable people do. Unless you are thinking that all religious people have only one aim. To 'convert' people to shove their faith down your throat. Which is an entirely different discussion.

KevinAndMe · 22/09/2015 09:51

InimitableJeeves could you explain to me how it is different?

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 22/09/2015 09:54

YABVU to allow it to affect your opinion of her professionally. I assume her work is still the same standard, is it? So why the fuck would her belief in a completely different system affect her work?

I'm sure lots of other people have said similar, and lots of other people have agreed with you - but frankly I find it easier to work with people who are open-minded than closed-minded.

steppemum · 22/09/2015 09:55

When I first became a Christian, I went to a brilliant lecture given by an astrophysicist, who was a prof at the uni in my town.

He was a committed Christian and spent his days doing Steven Hawkins type physics.
I loved listening to him. It was like a breath of fresh air, it is possible to be a serious scientist and a Christian.
and no, he wasn't a creationist.

overthemill · 22/09/2015 09:56

araiba sweetheart if that belief makes you happy and you don't force it down other people's throats, that's fine by me
and in the 80s ( as i recall) there were lots of feminists who lived as lesbians for political reasons (loo in Spare Rib archives) - so for some it might be

i think Einstein was probably right but it hasn't yet been definitively proven so it's the same for me as believing in all manner of science that i don't undefstand - but neither God nor the T0R have yet been disproven

Binkybix · 22/09/2015 09:56

These 'beliefs' will not affect her work anymore than your beliefs against religion do. Unless of course, it makes you a very judgemental and bigotted person

You really can't say this unless you know what her beliefs are. She could believe that god created a virus as a way of punishing sinners. Unlikely, but possible.

There's the potential for a clash although it won't necessarily be the case.

hackmum · 22/09/2015 09:56

Naughttothreesadonions: "Hackman that's exactly my point, it's a story,it's not to be taken literally! So days aren't literally days, it was written many many years after the events happened, all it is us a set of morel guide lines that can be intuited in many ways! It's not even history it can't be its a bunch of stories handed down mostly verbally, and doesn't chinise whispers prove that anything verbally is very very vulnerable to change and people's agendas! "

But if you believe that the writers of the Old Testament didn't mean any of it literally, and it's just a bunch of stories that may or may not be true, and probably aren't, why set such store by it? Why not go and worship Zeus and take your moral guidance from Epicurus or someone?

hackmum · 22/09/2015 09:58

Let's look at the reality here. The earth is four billion years old. Human beings in their current form have been around for about 100,000 years. During that time they have believed in thousands of different religions, different gods, different versions of God. How likely is it that the one that a few people came up with 2,000 years ago, and which only survived because it was taken up by the world's most powerful emperor, is actually true?

KevinAndMe · 22/09/2015 09:59

Binky of course you always have the risk of a clash. But the OP was much much more general than that.

She was more or less stating that no intelligent person could be religious therefore if you are a religious pwerson, then you are stupid.
Not the same thing.

SuburbanRhonda · 22/09/2015 10:01

I am a Catholic and whilst i don't hold/believe all of it, i know there is a God.

Surely this should be, I believe there is a God?

Even most scientists will admit that scientific "knowledge" is based on what there is currently evidence to support.

KevinAndMe · 22/09/2015 10:02

I personally think that the strenght of religion is to give you a moral compass.

That's why I am religious as in 'I blieve that xxx religion is offering me the best way to live my life in a meaningful way' but I am against established religion as in 'I will follow what xxx leader is telling me to do, follow the hierarchy etc'.
imo, any human construct such a religious organisation will also bring too many flaws/issues/intolerance for me to want to follow them.

SarfEast1cated · 22/09/2015 10:04

I'm rather hazy on the details, but there was a documentary on this a while ago. The scientist in question saw the work of god in the creation of the universe.

Binkybix · 22/09/2015 10:05

Belief in god existing is not the same as belief in there not being a god.

Belief in God requires faith - belief in something despite a lack of evidence (and I would argue in the face of some contradictory evidence if we're talking about specific gods or claims).

Thinking that god does not exist is largely due to a lack of evidence for existence. If a large body of evidence emerged then people could change their mind.

It is different.

rogueantimatter · 22/09/2015 10:08

Some scientists have religious beliefs about science IMO. They believe that man will find a technological solution to our problems and come up with amusing names for phenomena they don't understand, such as 'dark' matter'.

People of faith are less likely to have mental health problems.

Criticisms of religious scriptures usually come from a lack of understanding either of the specific texts or their function IME. Stories and art are very powerful ways of delivering ideas. At least as likely to leave a lasting impression and influence behaviour as statistics/scientific papers.

So IMO YABU, probably through lack of understanding.

Binkybix · 22/09/2015 10:09

She was more or less stating that no intelligent person could be religious therefore if you are a religious pwerson, then you are stupid. Not the same thing

Yes, I agree with you there - not least because we can see that some objectively intelligent people are religious!! Although being intelligent doesn't rule out there being a clash between scientific pursuits and belief either - depending on the beliefs and/or branch of science.

But I was responding to the later post I quoted rather than the OP.

Sallyingforth · 22/09/2015 10:09

... in your opinion.

merrygoround51 · 22/09/2015 10:10

Yes YABU.

I always remember when the CEO of Apple came out and mentioned something in his statement about God and the general surprise, not that he was gay but that he believed in God.

Science has not explained everything, nor can religion so mixing the 2 is not unheard of.

Sallyingforth · 22/09/2015 10:10

Sorry, that was a reply to Binky

Binkybix · 22/09/2015 10:11

People of faith are less likely to have mental health problems

Is that true? I had always read that the people with mental health problems are more likely to be religious.

SansaryaAgain · 22/09/2015 10:12

Do you mean she's just religious in general OP or she's a creationist? If it's the latter YANBU - I have a cousin who's a vet and doesn't believe in evolution!

Binkybix · 22/09/2015 10:12

Sorry - in my opinion what?

Are you saying there couldn't be a clash in theory at least? That's not an opinion surely?

KevinAndMe · 22/09/2015 10:14

I think it is actually Binky.
And I think that it has also been shown that they live longer and are happier....
All to do with being part of a community and having some support around you (practical and emotional) I think.

KevinAndMe · 22/09/2015 10:15

Some scientists have religious beliefs about science IMO. They believe that man will find a technological solution to our problems

Oh yes that is totally true too.

OTheHugeManatee · 22/09/2015 10:16

It's perfectly possible to have faith without believing in the literal Creationist interpretation of the Bible. YABU and a bit of a bigot Hmm

Dogzeyes · 22/09/2015 10:25

There is loads of stuff in the universe which can't be detected with instruments etc which we only know exists because of how other 'stuff' we can detect behaves. There is almost definitely 'stuff' out there which we have no concept of because we have no way to detect it...yet!

That's one of the most exciting and things about being a scientist asking questions which go beyond the current scope of understanding.

Surely being a good scientist is not having preconceived ideas about the universe.