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Motive Mongering: Does It Belong in Science?
CEH ^ | February 26, 2009

Posted on 02/26/2009 8:22:42 AM PST by GodGunsGuts

Motive Mongering: Does It Belong in Science?

Feb 26, 2009 — Amanda Gefter, a book reviewer and science editor, felt the need to warn the world about the creationists. She wrote a blog entry at New Scientist called “How to spot a hidden religious agenda.”

In addition, Gefter listed concepts and emphases that she felt betray a hidden agenda: an emphasis on complex molecular machines, the reference to quantum physics in support of free will, and calls for “academic freedom” (which she says can be translated as “the acceptance of creationism”). Lastly, she disclaimed any connection between the truth of a scientific theory (like evolution) with its social consequences (like the Holocaust), as explored in the movie Expelled.

Bottom line: “It is crucial to the public’s intellectual health to know when science really is science. Those with a religious agenda will continue to disguise their true views in their effort to win supporters, so please read between the lines.”...

(Excerpt) Read more at creationsafaris.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: amandagefter; catholic; christian; complexity; corruption; creation; darwinism; evolution; goodgodimnutz; hiddenagenda; intelligentdesign; irreducible; moralabsolutes; prolife; religiousagenda; science; scientific; spam; spamspamspamspam
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To: AndrewC
And ditto to your motive(not whether it is appropriate). We could go infinite regress on this subject, but the answer is a simple one, the thread is based upon an article calling into question motives. So it would seem very appropriate for metmom to turn the question on the author. The answer to your question as to whether it would be appropriate to wonder about metmom's motive for asking would seem to lie within yourself(since wondering is a process of a mind) and therefore cannot be answered by anyone else.

Is there an objective standard that can be applied, or are bias and agendas purely subjective determinations?

61 posted on 02/27/2009 2:12:57 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: SirKit

Physics discussion ping


62 posted on 02/27/2009 2:37:07 PM PST by SuziQ
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To: kc8ukw
"...“there is an 80% chance that electron is here, and a 20% chance that it’s over there.” If you looked at 1000 such electrons, you would be puzzled if something other than ~800 were here, and ~200 were over there."

I would only be puzzled by the perfect outcome obtained. It strongly suggests the data was generated w/o the benefit of an experiment.

63 posted on 02/27/2009 2:46:41 PM PST by spunkets
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To: tacticalogic
Is there an objective standard that can be applied, or are bias and agendas purely subjective determinations?

Unless there is some objective measurement of motive and a method to read minds, the topic must be subjective. But as you surely must see upon reading the article, the author is definitely expressing subjective things and nothing objective.

64 posted on 02/27/2009 3:04:40 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
Unless there is some objective measurement of motive and a method to read minds, the topic must be subjective. But as you surely must see upon reading the article, the author is definitely expressing subjective things and nothing objective.

The any claims of someone having an agenda are purely subjective, and have no basis in verifiable fact?

65 posted on 02/27/2009 3:06:42 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: tacticalogic
The any claims of someone having an agenda are purely subjective, and have no basis in verifiable fact?

Basis? Well, claims do have a basis in something "factual". Something stimulates a person to make a claim. But a claim is not factual unless it is backed up with a fact. I can claim water boils at 35 degrees Fahrenheit, but until I add the fact that this occurs at low pressure you shouldn't believe me.


66 posted on 02/27/2009 3:42:42 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
Basis? Well, claims do have a basis in something "factual". Something stimulates a person to make a claim. But a claim is not factual unless it is backed up with a fact. I can claim water boils at 35 degrees Fahrenheit, but until I add the fact that this occurs at low pressure you shouldn't believe me.

Do you take exception to attribution of motives or pursuit of an agenda, presented as fact and attributed to "evolutionists"?

67 posted on 02/27/2009 3:54:02 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: tacticalogic
Do you take exception to attribution of motives or pursuit of an agenda, presented as fact and attributed to "evolutionists"?

That seems to ask if I would judge someone's opinion. The only judgement I will make is that it is not my opinion as to motive(mainly because I am not a mind reader), but as in the case of NCSE there is ample evidence of pursuit of an agenda(they trumpet it). An agenda so entrenced that NCSE delves into the business of the Smithsonian.

68 posted on 02/27/2009 4:38:43 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
That seems to ask if I would judge someone's opinion. The only judgement I will make is that it is not my opinion as to motive(mainly because I am not a mind reader), but as in the case of NCSE there is ample evidence of pursuit of an agenda(they trumpet it). An agenda so entrenced that NCSE delves into the business of the Smithsonian.

Is it any less obvious that that the web site organization running it that this article came from has an agenda?

69 posted on 02/27/2009 4:44:20 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: tacticalogic
The only judgement I will make is that it is not my opinion as to motive(mainly because I am not a mind reader), but as in the case of NCSE there is ample evidence of pursuit of an agenda(they trumpet it).

Do you think it's valid or appropriate to attribute religious beliefs to people without knowing whether they actually hold those beliefs or not, or assume a bias or agenda in scientific matters based on their religious beliefs?

70 posted on 02/27/2009 4:53:26 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: AndrewC

Sorry, #70 should have been addressed to you.


71 posted on 02/27/2009 4:54:16 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: kc8ukw

Has she considered the moral implications of that?

I know I have, but as potentially dismal as it may be, I, unlike some, don’t get to pick and choose what I believe based on feelings and fiction.


72 posted on 02/27/2009 5:11:01 PM PST by ZarathustraSpeaks
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To: tacticalogic
Is it any less obvious that that the web site organization running it that this article came from has an agenda?

Well, yes since NCSE clearly states a portion of their agenda, but as their foray into the realm of The Smithsonian demonstrates, some of the agenda is hidden since in that situation their actions were not in the open. That being said, it seems obvious that anyone or anything having a presentation also has an agenda for that presentation.

73 posted on 02/27/2009 5:21:28 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: tacticalogic
Do you think it's valid or appropriate to attribute religious beliefs to people without knowing whether they actually hold those beliefs or not, or assume a bias or agenda in scientific matters based on their religious beliefs

I don't think it's valid or appropriate because that is my opinion and those religious beliefs would be their opinion. It would be a fruitless discussion, so I don't normally do it(I might use the attribution etc. to reply to such an attack on my beliefs). Though, when I believe that actions and opinions border on a religious belief, I will state so. Many Darwinists(I know Amanda is triggered by the word but Dr. James Shapiro uses it.) act in such a fashion.

74 posted on 02/27/2009 5:33:57 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: sauropod

read


75 posted on 02/27/2009 5:35:22 PM PST by sauropod (Mean Capitalist Bastard)
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To: AndrewC
I don't think it's valid or appropriate because that is my opinion and those religious beliefs would be their opinion.

I initially entered this thread in response to someone who submitted as a matter of fact that the author was an atheist, and that was thier motivation for the claims about the agenda of creationists.

It turns out there is nothing in the article indicating the author holds those beliefs. The lack of evidence was dismissed as irrelevant, and the discussion continued on as if it was indeed established the she was and atheist and that she was pursuing an agenda based on those beliefs.

76 posted on 02/27/2009 6:21:03 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: tacticalogic

And what’s your motive for asking about my motive for asking about her motive?


77 posted on 02/27/2009 7:04:35 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: tacticalogic; metmom
I initially entered this thread in response to someone who submitted as a matter of fact that the author was an atheist, and that was thier motivation for the claims about the agenda of creationists.

Maybe so, but I answered your rhetorical question as to appropriateness about wondering. I essentially stated that in that case the appropriateness was up to you, but I also pointed out that metmom's turning of the question on the author of the referenced article was definitely appropriate. The referenced article may not mention the authors belief, but the article itself certainly addresses hidden motives. In fact, the conclusion aimed at in the case of Dr. James Shapiro would be to assume hidden motives since he uses the word "Darwinists" which according to Amanda Gefter is suspect...When you come across the terms "Darwinism" or "Darwinists", take heed. True scientists rarely use these terms,

78 posted on 02/28/2009 1:09:33 PM PST by AndrewC
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To: AndrewC
The referenced article may not mention the authors belief, but the article itself certainly addresses hidden motives. In fact, the conclusion aimed at in the case of Dr. James Shapiro would be to assume hidden motives since he uses the word "Darwinists" which according to Amanda Gefter is suspect...When you come across the terms "Darwinism" or "Darwinists", take heed. True scientists rarely use these terms,

If you don't differentiate between saying something is possible or probable based on circumstantial evidence, and saying that it is established fact based on that same evidence, then there is no difference.

79 posted on 02/28/2009 1:17:59 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: AndrewC
I essentially stated that in that case the appropriateness was up to you, but I also pointed out that metmom's turning of the question on the author of the referenced article was definitely appropriate.

Yes you did. If, in your opinion, it is entirely up to me why are you still belaboring the point?

80 posted on 02/28/2009 1:33:50 PM PST by tacticalogic ("Oh bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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