Why are 98% of scientists atheist? ?

Question

Yet there is a lower number of atheists than theists. That figure really makes one think....

Answer 1

Where did you get this information from? i would say that throughout history most scientists were religious, Newton certainly was although his beliefs would ave been considered heretical at the time:

http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/Newton%20...

and Einstein had some religious convictions http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/einstein%...

The real problem between science and religion may be social/economical ie more about the church loosing absolute power, esp. in victorian Britain when the church was forced to let scientists teach science that contridicted a literal interpretation of the bible:

http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/The%20rel...

I personally do not believe in any of the main religions but i do not think that science contradicts God. just an anthropomorphic God. Science shows the world to be quite strange:

http://www.thestargarden.co.uk/magic%20o...

Answer 2

Because science is the search for knowledge while religion is the preservation of ignorance.

Also, please don't say atheist as all non-theist are not necessarily atheist, there are others such as agnostic.

Answer 3

     It's a good question.  What really makes you think, though, is that there are so many religions in the world;  Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Deist, Wiccan, and many, many more.  They all have their beliefs which are all totally different from one another.  Logic impels you to think that they must all be wrong.  There are people in every faith who have brilliant minds, so if there really is a God, why don't they all think the same?

     Scientists develop a theory, and then see whether science can prove it.  If not, it's thrown out.  There are the pseudo-scientists, like the Creationists, who say; "The Bible says the world was created 10,000 years ago, and all the people came along 6,000 years ago."  This is, of course, complete nonsense, but they go into convolutions, trying to wrap science around what are totally erroneous facts.  You can't, or shouldn't, use science to push a belief  that has absolutely no foundation in fact.  The great danger is that they teach their children this wrong science and that's almost criminally injurious.

Mike B

Answer 4

many scientists are atheist. many scientists believe in god.

Asking them why is rather personal

Famous Scientists Who Believed in God

Nicholas Copernicus

Sir Francis Bacon

Johannes Kepler

Galileo Galilei

Albert Einstein

Famous people who were/are atheists

Thomas Edison -- inventor

"Religion is all bunk."

Stephen Hawking

Ernst Mayr

Alfred Kinsey

Answer 5

Because one time I stepped in dog mess and accidentally tracked it around all over inside the local Pizza Hut.

Answer 6

How do you know that 98 percent of scientists are atheist? What poll was taken? Was it from a credible source. I am going to list some links for you to visit for your answer, because I think that number/percentage is off, and without listing the source in which you obtained that percentage it makes it hard to justify.

Answer 7

well....most of them cant live by faith cause they are so used to proving things

Answer 8

Evolutionists, humanists, naturalists, materialists and the like has hijacked science. Thus if you want to be called a scientist you have to claim that the supernatural (i.e. God, Heaven, etc.) doesn't exist.

I am a member of Seoul International Baptist Church. There are many kinds of people there: soldiers, teachers, programmers, housewives, drivers, and others. They come from many different countries. Yet they all believe in Christ. Why? Because to be a member of that church that is what you have to confess. This is true for the scientific community, as well.

Answer 9

It's probably true that scientists are more likely atheist than most people--particularly those in the hard sciences--since most of the evidence of higher powers is unprovable, and in many cases easily disprovable.

However, I would question the '98% are atheists' statistic: I dont think it's accurate. What's your source?

Answer 10

Because scientists must use logic, and logic does not coincide with theism. There is a lower number of atheists than theists because the majority of people are not scientists, and hate using logic for complex topics when a deus ex machina will do. It really doesn't make you think that hard. Seriously.

Check out this page: http://groups.google.com/group/Atheism-v...

Answer 11

The actual number is less than 50%, and of those, I would imagine social and political pressures can cause some of them NOT to say what they believe, so... Polls aren't all that accurate anyway. What you should really wonder is why 50% or more of scientists can spend so long studying things and/or trying to disprove God, only to keep or end up believing.

This for Blueteaz and others; Actually the Bible tells us to learn from the world around us, in other words, to use science to learn.

Answer 12

Well scientists have to prove things such as the creation of the universe. In religion, they tell you one thing like God created the universe in 7 days. Their discoveries are different from what the bible says, so they kind of doubt religion because it doesn't back up scientific fact.

Answer 13

The figure of 98% may be an exaggeration but a NATURE article ten years ago indicated that 90% of top scientists are atheistic. Face it, religion is for the simple minded, who just have trouble understanding the complexities of real world explanations. That excludes the brightest, such as many scientists.

Answer 14

because they forget the origin and think only of evolution

Answer 15

Maybe they believe they have eternal live and not care much about religion in there youth.

Answer 16

facts don't support theism,scientists rely on facts...

Answer 17

Because they seem to believe things that only have evidence, and since God or religion doesn't, I guess they don't think about it much.  

Answer 18

In 1997, Edward Larson of the University of Georgia decided to revisit Leuba's study and evaluate the prediction that religious belief was disappearing, at least in the scientific community.

"60% responded, a figure considered high for any surveys. Of those, 40% expressed belief in a deity, while nearly 45% did not. Larson's survey also discovered that physicists were less likely to have such faith, while mathematicians were significantly more likely to believe in a supreme being"

That would make 60% atheist & agnostic, NOT 98%.

Answer 19

For a lot of scientists, if they say they are Christian, no one respects them at all. Scientists are supposed to prove things, and religion can't be proved. So they lose the respect of the scientific community

Actually, I'm sorry. If they say any religion, not just Christianity.

Answer 20

Firstly because science and religion contradict each other on most things. Even their core morals, for example religions support faith and believing in things just because you are told to. Science supports investigating things and finding answers for yourself.

there are fewer atheists then theists in the world because about 300 years ago everyone was a theist but gradually some people realised that they didn't believe in theism. BUT most of the world was still theist so all the children were being brought up being told all about religion and when you are told something all the way through your childhood with no alternative option being given you generally believe what your parents told you.

Rant over.

Answer 21

Because how can a person that believes only in what he sees believe in something he cannot touch or see. Scientist focus to much on fact and credibility. But thats just how it is. A man who believes in god needs no reason. A man who doesnt will not accept one. Its funny though they dont use put their logic to religion. If a being is powerful enough to create a planet dont you think its possible to remove any trace of yourself. Humans like to think that they are the most powerful beings and that is why only their reasoning should count

Answer 22

Its always fun to read questions that start off with such wrong and stupid assumptions.  Of course it is hard to answer them.

Probably about 40 to 50% of 'scientists' believe in a some sort of god.

It is also probably true that over 90% reject the views of organized religions, especially the rantings and raving of the judeo-christian religions, where until recently most of the world's working 'scientists' live.

The reason they reject religion is because organized most religion is obviously silly, stupid or psychotic and the organizers of it are demonstrably greedy self centered low IQ crooks.  Many of course are sincere but that is not a proof of anything except early brain washing.

Answer 23

98% of scientists are athiests? I dont believe that number is correct.

Answer 24

I can tell you that 98% of scientists are certainly NOT atheists, unless you interpret atheist to mean non religous.

In my experience the majority have christian values but are not into religion because of the "belief" issues.

Your figures suggest you got them from some sort of creationist website or extreme christian group. Do your own research and expand your views: that is what scientists do every day.

Answer 25

this is cause they know science is correct and religion is a bunch of wang