PZ Myers. 2005 Nov 30. Whether you believe in it or not. <http://pharyngula.org/index/weblog/whether_you_believe_in_it_or_not/>. Accessed 2006 May 15.

Posted on M00o93H7pQ09L8X1t49cHY01Z5j4TT91fGfr on Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Whether you believe in it or not

If only the AAAS were run by an insane kook like Robertson:

Washington, DC: The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) issued a stern warning today to Televangelist Pat Robertson. Robertson had recently condemned the citizens of Dover, PA to the wrath of God for not voting in a school board that would teach Intelligent Design in classes.

"We'd like to say to the good Reverend Robertson: if there is a disaster in your area, don't turn to Science, you just rejected it from your life," AAAS said on its daily television show broadcast from Washington, the 3.14159 Club.

"And don't wonder why it hasn't helped you when problems begin, if they begin. We're not saying they will, but if they do, just remember, you just pushed science out of your life. And if that's the case, don't ask for its help because it might not be there," they said. "In particular, you won't have a phone to call the ambulance, and it won't exist even if you could call it. And even if the doctor lived next door and you could call her, she would only bleed you and put smelly poultices on your forehead to balance your humours. And she would be a guy."

"Actually, we're just kidding," the AAAS later corrected. "Science works whether you believe in it or not. That's what's really cool about it," they said.

"What they said," indicated Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in an independent statement.

Posted by PZ Myers on 11/30 at 08:05 AM
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  1. Very funny article.

    However, I would bet that the joke would be lost on christian fundies.
    #: Posted by  on  11/30  at  09:14 AM
  2. No, wait! This could work out really well! If PR couldn't use television or radio because he rejects science...
    #: Posted by decrepitoldfool  on  11/30  at  11:24 AM
  3. This is great satire-- and I think the warning is important. Science may 'work' whether you believe it or not- but the chances that you'll actually try it go down as your sheer craziness factor goes up.

    On one hand, when the facts are thoroughly in your face it's hard not to be a naturalist. It's 'only' the inferences that the supernaturals resist: Sure, they say, science works here or there-- but to them that doesn't mean we should apply its methods to any of the mysteries or doctrines of the faith. The authority of the faith is beyond question.

    What I wonder about (in an armchair psychological sense) is the variation in the breadth of what people take faith to cover: Some restrict the domain of faith pretty tightly, allowing a lot of room for science & common sense to determine what to believe. Others put faith first to the complete exclusion of science and common sense, aside from the most immediate observations of their surroundings. Of course, once people start questioning those we call them mentally ill rather than just really, really religious. So this line may be artificial, not recognizing the pathological nature of more extreme forms of faith or the continuity of the irrationality of faith from its most crazy manifestations to very conventional forms of religious belief.

    Of course there is no non-circular basis for ascribing real authority to faith, but it's hard slogging, philosophically speaking, to explain how the authority of the senses & of science gets grounded in a non-circular way. So there's about 0 likeliehood that pointing this problem out will have any effect...
    #: Posted by Bryson Brown  on  11/30  at  12:18 PM
  4. Cute, but it seems like a stretch to give science the credit for the entry of women into the medical profession.
    #: Posted by  on  11/30  at  01:12 PM
  5. Horus - I don't think it's too much of a stretch. It's certainly fair to blame religious fundamentalism for institutionalizing gender discrimination. If Pat Robertson wants to live in fantasy land, he gets to have all the ramifications of his mythology, not just the anti-science ones.
    #: Posted by  on  11/30  at  02:01 PM
  6. Horus and Idahogie - a few years ago when Harvard Medical School admitted its first class of more than 50% women, one of the high muckedty-mucks was asked how/why this came about. His answer was simply "Women make good doctors." So yes, science had much to do with it. An observation was made, confirmed, and acted on. A clear contrast to the previous faith-based "women CAN'T be doctors."
    #: Posted by  on  11/30  at  06:45 PM
  7. That's a riot.
    #: Posted by catherine  on  11/30  at  07:05 PM
  8. Hey, I'm glad you like my satire, but it's usually the polite thing to credit the author when you post something like that, along with the link.
    #: Posted by Brad Templeton  on  11/30  at  10:59 PM
  9. "Science works whether you believe in it or not. That's what's really cool about it,"

    reminds me of the only cartoon I ever created:

    <http://s92417348.onlinehome.us/humor/index.html>
    #: Posted by Carl Manaster  on  11/30  at  11:15 PM