# Why are so many Christians vehemently opposed to Science? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 18, 2009, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344 "2009-02-18T00:51:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![sunacres](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@sunacres](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunacres)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/161 "2009-02-24T07:09:13Z")
I’m astonished that so many Christian posters in this thread assert that the OP has some sort of off-kilter sample. The evidence has been in for some time now and consistently reveals that WE AMERICANS ARE RETARDED. Suck it up, people. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/162 "2009-02-24T13:42:14Z")
> [@Gbro](#): > > The big Bang you believe in is just a humanistic religion Keep telling yourself that. The reality is that the big bang theory only became accepted because it made predictions (such as the existence of a cosmic microwave background, subsequently discovered) and to a lesser extent that it explained well observations such as starlight redshift. Contrast with creationists who never make testable predictions, or explain anything other than to say god dunnit. > [@](#): > > [in reference to my list of sciences that creationists must reject] > > Why. I believe in science. Its the power of God. The more science has reviled, the more of God’s Greatness is reviled. I don’t even know what you’re arguing here. I’m saying that creationists must reject many well-accepted (because they make accurate predictions) findings of science. You’ve already admitted that you don’t believe in evolution and the big bang. Also, to put into context, I only gave that list because earlier you’d said that the problem is not with science but with Darwin. But whatever you mean by “science” that statement can’t be right. Because you must also have a problem with all the people associated with the big bang theory for a start. > [@](#): > > I have a question for you. > If you were to be nominated for a darwin award, what would that award be representative of? I don’t see the significance of this. The Darwin awards have nothing to do with the Origin of Species or current models of natural selection. They’re sometimes amusing (in a dark way) but aren’t intended to be viewed in any scientific sense. ---
**Author:** ![lekatt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lekatt/32/7269_2.png) [@lekatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lekatt)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/163 "2009-02-24T13:43:54Z")
> [@sunacres](#): > > I’m astonished that so many Christian posters in this thread assert that the OP has some sort of off-kilter sample. The evidence has been in for some time now and consistently reveals that WE AMERICANS ARE RETARDED. Suck it up, people. > > [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/22/opinion/polls/main657083.shtml) So if some one refuses to believe a theory, that makes them retarded. tsk. tsk. Funny. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/164 "2009-02-24T14:34:40Z")
> [@lekatt](#): > > So if some one refuses to believe a theory, that makes them retarded. tsk. tsk. Funny. Do you know the difference between a scientific theory and an idea not supported by evidence? I do. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2009, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/165 "2009-02-24T14:41:53Z")
> [@Measure\_for\_Measure](#): > > Once again, we have a wholly unsubstantiated claim. Please explain how Confucianism [Not a religion](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confucianism) > [@](#): > > , Taoism, [Because:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism) > [@](#): > > Reverence for ancestor spirits and immortals are also common in popular Taoism. … Chinese alchemy… > [@](#): > > Secular Buddhism, Not a religion. > [@](#): > > Secular Humanism Not a religion. > [@](#): > > …and the Ethical Cultural Society irrational. Not a religion. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/166 "2009-02-25T05:03:28Z")
From QED’s wikipedia link on Confucianism: “It might be considered a **state religion** of some East Asian countries, because of governmental promotion of Confucian values.” Under, “The neutrality of this article is disputed.”: “It is therefore debatable whether Confucianism should be called a religion.” Then again: "Generally speaking, Confucianism is not considered a religion by Chinese or other East Asian people. " Britannica, via [answers.com](http://answers.com): "Though not organized as a religion, it has deeply influenced East Asian spiritual and political life in a comparable manner. " Evidence is mixed, bul I’ll call that one for QED. [Taoism, from answers.com](http://www.answers.com/Taoism) The dictionary entry calls it “A principal philosophy and system of religion of China…” The Buddhism dictionary calls it, "One of the indigenous religions of China… " Colombia Encyclopedia: “Taoism (däu’ĭzəm) , refers both to a Chinese system of thought and to one of the four major religions of China (with Confucianism, Buddhism, and Chinese popular religion).” Ok, we’re 1-1 now. The remainder of your points were offered without substantiation. Justice Black’s commentary in Torcaso v. Watkins seems to imbue these groups under a relgious umbrella:“Among religions in this country which do not teach what would generally be considered a belief in the existence of God are Buddhism, Taoism, Ethical Culture, Secular Humanism, and others.”. Within tax law, humanistic groups have received religious deductions: see eg Fellowship of Humanity v. County of Alameda and Washington Ethical Society v. District of Columbia. Then again, there’s Peloza v. Capistrano School District, stating that such groups may not be religions for all first amendment purposes. Of course, I’m talking out of my posterior here: all of this is from [wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secular_humanism). To my list I’ll add the religions, [The First Church of Atheism](http://firstchurchofatheism.com/), and [The Universal Life Church](http://www.themonastery.org/). I figure any operation that calls itself a church is probably a religion, absent explicit statement to the contrary. See [religious humanism](http://atheism.about.com/od/abouthumanism/a/religioushuman.htm) for further discussion. More seriously though, we might just want to use the word Theism to depict religions that maintain a belief in one or more gods. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2009, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344/167 "2009-02-25T05:12:30Z")
Oops, I muffed that one. QED was claiming that Taoism is irrational. I’ll stay agnostic, but note longer quote from wikipedia: "Reverence for ancestor spirits and immortals are also common in popular Taoism. Organized Taoism distinguishes its ritual activity from that of the folk religion, which some professional Taoists (Daoshi) view as debased. " So QED’s allegations of irrationality were tied to the popular wing of Taoism. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-so-many-christians-vehemently-opposed-to-science/486344.md?page=8)