Comment 2TXW Re: Too broad of categories

Poll

Which of the following groups do you trust when it comes to scientific research and reporting?

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Too broad of categories (Score: 4, Insightful)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2014-11-05 14:38 (#2TX6)

There are billions of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Atheists and Agnostics. I wouldn't automatically dismiss any research by any of them. Nor would I automatically trust it because it came from one of them.

Now, if I have more information about a particular group an individual comes from, I can certainly do that. Like, if it comes from The Institute for Creation Research I'm not trusting anything they say. Or if they are funded by a large oil company and do climate research...

Re: Too broad of categories (Score: 1, Insightful)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2014-11-05 15:14 (#2TX8)

Hmm... your point of view is valid. But there are others. For instance you wrote:
Or if they are funded by a large oil company and do climate research...
Yes, people have reasons to fake research results. They may be paid to do so. They may do it to get funding and/or fame. Those reasons are equally valid for religious and not religious people. However, unlike Atheists and perhaps Agnostics, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists can have an extra incentive to fake results. One more kind of temptation. So statistically one should be more careful about what religious people say.

Of course, this is only statistics, there should not be an automatism to dismiss their research. There is no Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist hive mind. Cheating is always done by an individual.

Re: Too broad of categories (Score: 2, Insightful)

by billshooterofbul@pipedot.org on 2014-11-06 16:12 (#2TXR)

You're talking about BILLIONS of people. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think you can paint people with that broad of a brush.

Also, I don't think Religious belief is a separate category from other closely held beliefs. Try talking science to the crazy anti GMO or anti Vaccine crowd and see how far you get.

Re: Too broad of categories (Score: 1)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2014-11-06 17:11 (#2TXW)

You're talking about BILLIONS of people. Call me old fashioned, but I don't think you can paint people with that broad of a brush.
And I said: There is no Christian, Muslim, or Buddhist hive mind. Cheating is always done by an individual.
Also, I don't think Religious belief is a separate category from other closely held beliefs. Try talking science to the crazy anti GMO or anti Vaccine crowd and see how far you get.
But I agree with you here. First crazy anti GMO or anti Vaccine crowd are not necessarily atheists. And second even if they are, it does not mean that they cannot be stupid. There are enough pseudo-atheists, which are 'proud' not to believe in a god, but happily replaced god with some other mumbo-jumbo. Stupidity is not bound to a certain religious belief.

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