In the discussion about How (not?) to speak to scientists about Jesus a year and a half ago, I said this:
A conversation with a YEC friend a few months back made me realise that some Christians express bad attitudes towards science without realising that that is what they are doing. This being the case, I thought it might be worthwhile to make a note of some of the things that I hear from time to time in Christian circles that (possibly unintentionally) sound condescending, dishonest, suspicious, passive-aggressive, judgmental or hostile.
These are they.
The expression “secular science.” There is no such thing as “secular science.” Science has rules and honesty has rules, and the rules are the same for Christians and secularists alike. To talk about “secular science” is like talking about “secular measurement” or “secular honesty” or “secular facts.” It’s basically a refusal to play by the rules.
Denouncing scientific findings that you don’t like as “compromise.” Once more, this is a refusal to play by the rules. If someone is telling you to stick to the rules of science and your response is to accuse them of “compromise,” then you are effectively saying that the rules of science should be disregarded. That is antagonism towards science, period.
The only time when an accusation of “compromise” might be warranted is if you have evidence that the rules are demonstrably being broken and that there is a concerted effort to hush it up. Even then, you need to make sure that both you, and the person whom you are accusing of compromise, know what the rules of science actually are.
Denouncing scientific findings that you don’t like as “atheist.” Unless you can demonstrate that atheism really is the decisive factor behind a particular finding (and this is rarely if ever the case), then you’re simply not getting your facts straight.
Snide remarks about “putting your trust in science” or “having more faith in science than in God.”
Claims that “scientists are always changing their minds.” Scientists only change their minds in controlled and disciplined ways in response to new data or new techniques for analysing the data. To portray science as an arbitrary, make-it-up-as-you-go kind of affair when in actual fact it is rigorous and disciplined is a false accusation against hard working scientists.
Referring to scientific theories as “evolutionist” when they have nothing to do with biological evolution. This is basically dividing science in two, using “science” to refer to the bits that you are prepared to accept and “evolution” to attack the bits that you aren’t. This is an intrinsically anti-science attitude.
Talking about “assumptions” without stating clearly what the assumptions in question actually are. Assumptions are not a get-out-of-jail-free card; you have to justify your claim that they could have been violated in a way that remained consistent with whatever alternative hypothesis you are proposing.
Loaded questions. This was the main problem that I had with the “How to talk to scientists about Jesus” article—it comes across as trying to win an argument rather than trying to actually learn something.
Approaching science as an ammunition-gathering exercise for apologetic purposes. This is a recipe for completely misunderstanding the subject, getting things wrong, quote mining, and undermining your exam results.
Discouraging your young people from pursuing science-based careers. This does happen from time to time. Parents, pastors and youth leaders who try to divert science-minded young people away from fruitful careers in the sciences onto other tracks (including “science-based apologetics”) are doing them a disservice and in some cases may be setting them up for failure and frustration.
These are just a few of the examples that I can think of off the top of my head. A couple of other takeaways.
- Remember that science has rules. It’s not so much a rejection of specific scientific findings that makes people come across as antagonistic to science. Rather, it’s a refusal to play by the rules when doing so.
- Remember that science is a practical and hands-on activity. Make sure that you fully understand how the mechanics of science work before attempting to tackle the philosophy of science.
- Remember that science is the basis for people’s jobs and careers. Teaching things about science that are incorrect, misleading or confusing can undermine people’s ability to do their jobs properly. Especially if you are attaching a strong doctrinal importance to the incorrect, misleading or confusing claims in question.