Is the Fundy anti-science mindset from fear of change?

[Odin2005]

It seems like the self-corrective nature of science is always mocked by fundies as "dumb scientists always changing their minds". IMO this attitude exposes an underlying fear of change, they are looking for an eternal, unchanging Absolute Truth. Such Absolute Truth comforts them, while the changing nature scientific ideas terrifies them, in their mind if it is not an eternal Truth it is worthless, and it is worthless BECAUSE it terrifies them.

[Drale]

1. I think it has something to do with the fact

that the very nature of science makes you think, and that is against everything the republicans stand for and I also think that the fear of change comes from the fear of losing their money and status, because if things change that might happen.

[baldguy]

2. More like fear of thinking.

[laconicsax]

3. Possibly. They LOVE science when it suits them though. n/t

[Chulanowa]

6. You mean they love it when they don't understand it.

'Cause science has never actually been in their corner.

[laconicsax]

9. No, they love it when they can use an advancement to promote their fantasies.

[KaoriMitsubishi]

11. "No, they love it when they can use an advancement to promote their fantasies"

In other words, the love it when they don't understand it.

[Name removed]

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[laconicsax]

15. For two reasons:

1) Advances in technology/knowledge help them promote their position.
2) Ignorance helps them attack knowledge that refutes their position.

[AlecBGreen]

18. Hi KaoriMitsubishi!

welcome to DU! :hi: :toast: :party:

[glinda]

4. Greed and ignorance. Anger too maybe thrown in. They have been part of the problem and they

might be in total denial because it would an admission. They do not care. They do not care. They do not care. They are killing the planet and they do not care. Whew! That felt better.

[StClone]

5. It is a trait of the Authoritarian Follower

"The Authoritarians" by Bob Altemeyer is a factual, Scientific inquiry into the nature of why these people act as they do. Humorous and heavy with information it is necessary reading to aid us in our fight against a true danger.

Full text FREE on-line (PDF Form) http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~altemey/

[Odin2005]

8. I've already read it!

:)

[Bosso 63]

7. yes

[dimbear]

10. The attitude descends from their clergy, who are simply

protecting their cash flow. Compare the people who made buggies--not too enthusiastic about automobiles. Dangerous contraptions....

[DonCoquixote]

12. Yes

The same is at is on the extreme left when people write crap like "endgame".

[Ozymanithrax]

13. Nothing in science can be used to justify their world view that...

life continues after death, and that the universe is filled with vast forces not beholden to god. Science posits natural explanations to natural phenomena. As long as science was thought of as the study of how god made and operated the universe it was fine. Once Science removed God from the equation, religion had not use for it.

[kestrel91316]

14. No. They truly believe science is of the devil because it directly contradicts

the bible.

[madrchsod]

16. for some it`s the fear of being challenged on their doctrine and...

for others...they are just to dam stupid to have a complex thought.

[ZombieHorde]

17. In some cases,

their opposition is based on their god of the gaps, in other cases, it's greed.

[rug]

19. It stems from the conflation of the Bible with a science textbook.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. Fear and intellectual laziness.

All they know is what some ignorant preacher tells them, or FOX NEWS, and they are too damn lazy to either go to a library and find a book to find the truth, or get on the internet to wikipedia or wherever. They don't want their illusions shattered.


I have talked to two people here in town who said the following: One said she had never seen the moon in the daytime. This woman is forty years old. We explained how the moon falls behind tbe sun every day and that's why it has phases.


Another woman who is 35 had never noticed the diff between a planet and a star. We were waiting for trick or treaters and I said "Is that Jupiter up there?" to start a conversation.
Hubby said "Yes". We explained to neighbor that planets are much brighter and move a lot and don't twinkle. Neighbor woman said "I never noticed".


:banghead:

Nobody looks up at the sky, either. Guess that's why they think the moon produces its own light -- cause the Babble says so. And the earth is flat and the sun goes around the earth.

:banghead:

[AlecBGreen]

21. I think that is a pretty accurate statement

"Such Absolute Truth comforts them, while the changing nature scientific ideas terrifies them, in their mind if it is not an eternal Truth it is worthless, and it is worthless BECAUSE it terrifies them."

People want things tied up with a neat little bow, they dont like contradictions or paradoxes. Its much easier to believe the simple and discard anything that doesnt make sense.

[pokerfan]

22. A quote from Richard Feynman

You see, one thing is, I can live with doubt and uncertainty and not knowing. I think it's much more interesting to live not knowing than to have answers which might be wrong. I have approximate answers and possible beliefs and different degrees of uncertainty about different things, but I am not absolutely sure of anything and there are many things I don't know anything about, such as whether it means anything to ask why we're here. I don't have to know an answer. I don't feel frightened not knowing things, by being lost in a mysterious universe without any purpose, which is the way it really is as far as I can tell. It doesn't frighten me.

I find it ironic that the fundies call scientists arrogant and dogmatic because I see a lot of humility in those words.

[AlecBGreen]

23. good quote

and amen to your statement. if only more people were comfortable with the unknown