[Osx-nutters] The separation of church and state.

[Mark Smith]

On 04.12.2007, at 23:28, Chris Gehlker wrote:

>
> On Dec 4, 2007, at 10:29 AM, Mark Smith wrote:
>
>> They can coexist in a community, but not in an individual if that
>> individual is really a disciplined scientist. That individual can  
>> (and
>> should) recognise that the religious hocus-pocus cannot be completely
>> and definitively disproven. That individual can even participate in
>> the religion, but as soon as that individual really believes in it,
>> that individual has ceased to be a scientist (at least according to  
>> my
>> definition (: ).
>
> Silly me! I thought Newton and Einstein were scientists. Thanks for
> setting me straight.

Read up on Newton and you will find that it is widely reported that he  
was plagued by precisely this dichotomy. In his time, it was audacious  
and dangerous to question the existence of God and the authority of  
the church. He did. Both. So, that's one out of the way.

(Taking this one a stage deeper though, there is some evidence that  
Newton was a poor scientist in comparison to Leibnitz. He was a gifted  
thinker and mathematician, maybe more gifted than Leibnitz ? but if  
the records are to be believed, less disciplined in method. Just, you  
know, throwing that in there.)

As for Einstein, I have to admit that I don't know his real position  
on God. I know the throwaway quotes that get bandied around, but don't  
tell you anything. Care to enlighten me on his personal *beliefs* ?

Mark.