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Agnostic sociologist: “Unself-conscious” bigotry against Christianity hampers considering evidence for ID

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Fuller in New York by Babich Steve Fuller explains here:

First, whether or not the ‘Darwinian paradigm’ is crumbling depends on what the next generation thinks and does. As long as the paradigm retains its current levels of control over who and what passes as ‘scientific’, I see little prospect for change. I doubt that any particular piece of evidence will change minds by itself. One should not underestimate the amount of bigotry against Christianity at work here, albeit in the relatively unself-conscious way that in the past had been associated with anti-Semitism. (I am especially struck by how self-regarding ‘liberals’ are quick to bring up how the supposed financial might of ID people distorts scientific discourse.) What is required for the sort of change that Meyer would like to see is a more systemic disillusionment with the scientific establishment in terms of its failure to live up to its own ideals. My guess is that this is more likely to help ID’s fortunes than any new research, which can always be spun in multiple ways.

More.

Note: A UD news writer (Denyse O’Leary)* remembers encountering an atheist professor in Toronto at the TVO station at Eglinton & Yonge some years ago. The prof swore that the ID-promoting Discovery Institute had scads of money. News writer, as it happened, had visited their office in 2007. The DI crowd were a great bunch, but their office was the usual not-for-profit dump in what was (or should be) a low rent neighbourhood. (They’ve since moved, but from what I hear, the new digs aren’t that much better.)

So their luxury yachts must be anchored off their private islands somewhere …

PS: UD News* operates at least one division from somewhere near a cell tower somewhere in Canada, which narrows things down a lot.  😉

Comments
I don't agree anti Christian bias has anything to do with what is called anti-semitis, Anti christian is based on ideas and the other is based on complaints about a foreign identity living amongst a host population as seen by the hosts. Anti christian is only a little abouit the historic identity of cHristianity with the best part of civilization in mans history. Largely its about conclusions and how they affect society. Yes there has been a fight against Christianity for a couple of centuries now and evolutionism was a needed weaponry. I don't agree that nothing need change on these issues or hoping for a smarter next generation. Why should error sustain itself with this generation? As a YEC the ID movement is most relevant because it brings well degree-ed people into the attack against the EVIDENCE for biological evolution or any denial of a creator in nature. If evolutionary biology is false then the evidence for it, from scientific biological investigation, must be non existent or close. Therefore attacking the claims the evidence must reap reward. Further attacking the claims for scientific investigation behind the evidence of non existence should finish the job by thursday. ID folk miss attacking methodology behind evolution etc. YEC miss a little but don't have audience or enough credibility to bring attention to methodology problems.Robert Byers
May 21, 2013
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Many lump Eddington in with the atheists. That's historically inaccurate: http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/P/bo5485363.html Eddington supposedly didn't like big displays of God's power. Not that I'm saying his view is logical, but he was not an atheist by most accounts.scordova
May 19, 2013
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Gregory you state:
Fuller doesn’t self-identify as ‘agnostic’ or ‘secular humanist’ anymore. Even the Wiki page has made this change. But far be it for IDist reporters to know this. Can the truth not be told?
Yet I went to wiki hoping to find that Fuller had actually become a Theist as you claimed, but instead found,,,
In his book "Dissent over Descent", he identifies himself as a secular humanist and though he does not believe in a divine personal creator, he sees religion, in general, as a motivating influence in scientific pursuits and believes that the difference between science and religion is more institutional than intellectual. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Fuller_%28sociologist%29#Intelligent_design
Perhaps I missed the correct passage Gregory,,, can you help me find the correct passage if I did? But I do agree with you on one thing Gregory, Steve Fuller is about the most Theistic friendly secular humanist I've ever seen (up there with Nagel) and, from what little I know of him personally, ought to be a Theist by all rights:
In Cambridge, Professor Steve Fuller discusses intelligent design - Video https://uncommondescent.com/news/in-cambridge-professor-steve-fuller-discusses-why-the-hypothesis-of-intelligent-design-is-not-more-popular-among-scientists-and-others/ At 17:34 minute mark of the video, Dr. Steve Fuller states: "So you think of physics in search of a "Grand Unified Theory of Everything", Why should we even think there is such a thing? Why should we think there is some ultimate level of resolution? Right? It is part, it is a consequence of believing in some kind of design. Right? And there is some sense in which that however mulrifarious and diverse the phenomena of nature are, they are ultimately unified by the minimal set of laws and principles possible. In so far as science continues to operate with that assumption, there is a presupposition of design that is motivating the scientific process. Because it would be perfectly easy,, to stop the pursuit of science at much lower levels. You know understand a certain range of phenomena in a way that is appropiate to deal with that phenomena and just stop there and not go any deeper or any farther.",,, You see, there is sense in which there is design at the ultimate level, the ultimate teleology you might say, which provides the ultimate closure,,"
bornagain77
May 19, 2013
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H'mm: As in Office Max . . . KFkairosfocus
May 19, 2013
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Easy test: who provides office furniture? And where is it made? Of what materials . . . oh, for the days of mahogany. KFkairosfocus
May 19, 2013
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Is Denyse O'Leary back? That would be a good thing if it turns out to be the case. :)Chance Ratcliff
May 19, 2013
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Has Fuller made an official statement of which we are not aware? Thanks for heads-up. Re offices, guess it depends on what you expect. Some of us expect all the comforts of home. (So we work at home.)News
May 19, 2013
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The Discovery Institute offices = "the usual not-for-profit dump" It looked quite up-scale when I was there. Current offices, quite near to the previous, are on Columbia Street between 2nd and 3rd Ave's, just a few blocks from Colman Dock, Pier 52. That's not a lower-end location. These are not 'have-nots' at the DI. p.s. Fuller doesn't self-identify as 'agnostic' or 'secular humanist' anymore. Even the Wiki page has made this change. But far be it for IDist reporters to know this. Can the truth not be told?Gregory
May 19, 2013
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