Which do you find more irritating: fundamentalists or scientific materialists?

Question

Here is what irritates me about fundamentalists:

Literal-mindedness.

Self-righteousness.

Judgementalism.

Anti-science.

Here is what irritates me about scientific materialists:

The knee-jerk, cliched reactions: "anecdotal evidence;" "don't be so open-minded that your brains will fall out;" "I wouldn't believe it even if it was true;" "I don't have to look at the evidence, because it's all nonsense." (The last two are paraphrases).

Answer 1

No scientist will say 'I wouldn't believe that even if it were true.'  That's not scientific.  And we'll always look at the evidence - just write it up and submit it to a journal.  That's their job.  It's not the job of every scientist you meet on the street - we don't have that kind of time, especially when you're challenging basic physical laws.

And I'm not really sure what you mean by 'materialist'.  Basically, that just means we limit ourselves to what can actually be tested - the physical world.  And if you think that's a problem, you seriously misunderstood science somewhere.

So I guess what really irritates me is people like you.

Answer 2

The last two are not only paraphrased, they are false and misleading. No scientist ever refuses to look at evidence. Scientists don't "believe" things. That is religion. They look at facts and evidence to determine what is likely true and what is not true.

The reason scientists make statements like the first two you claim they make is that the religious fundamentalists will not leave them alone. Science is perfectly happy to ignore religious fundamentalists, but they (the fundamentalists) insist one pushing their belief systems on those who want no part of them.

I am not a scientist, and I have no religion. But, I like to read science stuff which is never forced on me. I don't feel that way about religion. Fundamentalists constantly try to force non-religious people to live their way and believe what they believe. I just want them to leave me alone. And stay out of my secular government.

Answer 3

I find scientific materialists more irritating...because of the unmitigated arrogance.

("How dare anyone question Evolution!")

Answer 4

really if you cut through both of these peoples layers you would find they are the same.

they respond to other ways of viewing this thing called life anaethema...It's my way or the highway...they are both extremes on either end of the human perspective.  They really need to get a grip and accept that both faith and science are beneficial (mostly!!) for all of us.

Answer 5

Interesting question, I wish I would have thought of it. I am at the same crossroads as you are when it comes to this very subject. Both can be impossible with their ways of thinking. If I were forced to pick an answer, I would say the fundamentalist get on my nerves the most. I have seen them get very mean spirited over their fundamentalists beliefs and ideas, especially if you get a hold of a fire and brimstone one. Or I hate the way fundamentalist cover for child molesters within their religious organization. What a total turn off.  Its enough to chase people away from religion not bring them in, especially young people.

On the other hand, the scientific materialist are almost just as bad. They would not believe in a religious experience if it hit them squire in the nose. For example, after they found their perfect universe mathematically impossible because of all this unexplainable mass or dark matter they have come up with these c**k in bull stories to explain it, what a mess. I find it easier to believe in Genesis then the mess they have come up with for an answer to their dark matter problem. Me and a friend of mine who follow Astronomy magazine together think they should admit that they simply do not have the answer. Maybe as a race, us humans just simply are not smart enough to find the answer. It is just that simple.

Edit update: I have personally witnessed the power of prayer save a life that was very important to me. Rather then except it for that, the scientific people where trying to find a scientific explanation rather than deduce that maybe some stronger power was in control. "If we can not see it then we will not give this miracle credence." Yeah right. I love science and have been an amateur Astronomer for over 40 years and I own both a nice microscope and telescope but I still have my Faith, so did Newton, and Einstein.