Wow, I forgot how interesting the non-RE piggy posts can get. I know it’s a web forum, but the amount of vitriol and “facts” are a bit disturbing.
I am and work with hundreds of scientists and I can honestly tell you that there is very little correlation (can’t comment on causation!) between being a scientist and religious belief. The one thing I have noticed is that scientists, on average, have thought through their stance more than most. I don’t know if it’s because of the analytical mind or the fact that we study the workings of nature (or God’s plan–take your pick) everyday.
My advisor was a friend of Sagan, and also a devout Catholic. I can tell you that they disagreed completely when it came to religion, but they were still friends and both stood in awe of nature.
Which reminds me:I was privileged to hear a conversation between Sagan and the Vatican astronomer.
Sagan could not understand how one could look out at the universe and recognize that nature did not require a god. The Vatican astronomer said” How can one peer into the universe and not see God.”
I’d argue that they were both competent planetary scientists…
