An extraterrestrial being, newly arrived on Earth – scrutinizing what we mainly present to our children in television, radio, movies, newspapers, magazines, the comics, and many books – might easily conclude that we are intent on teaching them murder, rape, cruelty, superstition, credulity, and consumerism. We keep at it, and through constant repetition many of them finally get it. What kind of society could we create if, instead, we drummed into them science and a sense of hope? ibid.
All over the world there are enormous numbers of smart, even gifted, people who harbor a passion for science. But that passion is unrequited. Surveys suggest that some 95 percent of Americans are ‘scientifically illiterate’. That’s just the same fraction as those African Americans, almost all of them slaves, who were illiterate just before the Civil War – when severe penalties were in force for anyone who taught a slave to read. Of course there’s a degree of arbitrariness about any determination of illiteracy, whether it applies to language or to science. But anything like 95 percent illiteracy is extremely serious. ibid.
We can judge our progress by the courage of our questions and the depth of our answers, our willingness to embrace what is true rather than what feels good. Carl Sagan
Science is based on experiment, on a willingness to challenge old dogma, on an openness to see the universe as it really is. Accordingly, science sometimes requires courage – at the very least the courage to question the conventional wisdom. Carl Sagan
There are no forbidden questions in science, no matters too sensitive or delicate to be probed, no sacred truths. Carl Sagan
The best way to avoid abuses is for the populace in general to be scientifically literate, to understand the implications of such investigations. In exchange for freedom of inquiry, scientists are obliged to explain their work. If science is considered a closed priesthood, too difficult and arcane for the average person to understand, the dangers of abuse are greater. But if science is a topic of general interest and concern – if both its delights and its social consequences are discussed regularly and competently in the schools, the press, and at the dinner table – we have greatly improved our prospects for learning how the world really is and for improving both it and us. Carl Sagan
Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. Carl Sagan
I am often amazed at how much more capability and enthusiasm for science there is among elementary school youngsters than among college students. Carl Sagan
Science cuts two ways, of course; its products can be used for both good and evil. But there’s no turning back from science. Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space
It is the tension between creativity and scepticism that has produced the stunning and unexpected findings of science. Carl Sagan
There is no compromise. One must either accept the doctrines of science – or reason – or one must reject its principles altogether. We either trust in the scientific method or we do not. Matthew Alper, The God Part of the Brain
But should we believe in such things if it’s at the expense of everything that corresponds with scientific method, with reason? ibid.
Why are we so afraid to let go of the antiquated belief systems by which we were raised? What if our great, great, great, great and then some grandparents were wrong? What if those who viewed lightning as God’s wrath were mistaken? What if their primitive interpretations were wrong? Moreover, what harm could come in at least exploring the tools of science as a means to fortify ourselves, as a means to minimize life’s pain and maximize our happiness?
So, which will it be? Are we to accept the underlying principles conceived in scientific method – reason – or are we to obstinately hold on to those antiquated belief systems that spring from our pre-scientific, ignorant past?
… Besides, if there truly is no spiritual reality, just think of all the energy we’ve wasted in practicing our illusionary beliefs. Think of all the useless rituals and ceremonies we’ve performed, all of the sacrifices we’ve made, the shrines we’ve built, the purses we’ve filled, the gods to whom we’ve worshipped and prayed and, meanwhile all of it in vain. ibid.
God is not discoverable or demonstrable by purely scientific means, unfortunately for the scientifically minded. But that really proves nothing. It simply means that the wrong instruments are being used for the job. J B Phillips
Life makes the wonders of technology seem commonplace. So where does life come from? What is it? Why are we here? What are we for? What is the Meaning of Life? There’s a conventional wisdom which says that Science has nothing to say about such questions. Well, all I can say is that if Science has nothing to say, it’s certain that no other discipline can say anything at all. Richard Dawkins, lecture 1: Waking Up in the Universe, 1991
If you’ll let it, Science can offer the best answer to the deep questions of existence: how am I? Where did I come from? What am I for? It will illuminate the world you live in and show you where you stand in the universe. Richard Dawkins, Break the Science Barrier
Science frees us from superstition and dogma, and enables us to base our knowledge on evidence. Richard Dawkins, Enemies of Reason: Slaves to Superstition, Channel 4 2007
Reason and a respect for evidence are the source for our progress. Our safeguard against fundamentalists. And those who profit from obscuring the truth. We live in dangerous times when superstition is gaining ground, and rational science is under attack. ibid.
Today a war is being fought against reason. Science is treated with suspicion, perhaps born of fear, and medical advance is challenged by the march of irrational belief. ibid.
Reason has built the modern world. It is a precious but also a fragile thing which can be corroded by apparently harmless irrationality. We must favour verifiable evidence over private feeling otherwise we leave ourselves vulnerable to those who would obscure the truth. ibid.
Today a war is being fought against Reason. Science is treated with suspicion perhaps borne of fear. And medical advance is challenged by the march of irrational belief. Richard Dawkins: Enemies of Reason: The Irrational Health Service
It’s little wonder that alternative health fairs like this are flourishing across the country. People may come here with real health problems, but what do they get? Remedies that appear to have no basis in science or evidence ... Remember this is a multi-billion-pound industry. Yet 80% of alternative remedies have never subjected themselves to controlled scientific trials. ibid.
In flaunting words like energy, vibration, vortex they exploit and also distort some of Science’s great discoveries ... What worries me is the beguiling misuse of scientific language to prop up entirely unscientific belief systems. ibid.
The indulgence of superstitious alternative remedies implicitly casts doubt on scientific advance, and undermines confidence in real medical progress. Yet as we’ve seen, the attack on medicine is just one small part of the creeping rise of irrational superstition. ibid.
The process of non-thinking called faith. I’m a scientist and I believe there is a profound contradiction between Science and religious belief. There is no well demonstrated reason to believe in God. And I think the idea of a divine creator belittles the elegant reality of the universe. Richard Dawkins, The Root of All Evil? The God Delusion
People like to say that faith and science can live together side by side, but I don’t think they can. They’re deeply opposed. Science is a discipline of investigation and constructive doubt, questing with logic, evidence and reason to draw conclusions; faith by stark contrast demands a positive suspension of critical faculties. Science proceeds by setting up hypotheses, ideas or models and then attempts to disprove them, so a scientist is constantly asking questions, being sceptical. Religion is about turning untested belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time. ibid.
Science is about testing, comparing and corroborating this mass of evidence, and using it to update old theories of how things work. ibid.
Evangelicals like Haggard are foisting evidence falsehoods on their flock. The evangelicals are denying scientific evidence just to support bronze-age myths. ibid.
Fundamentalist Christianity is on the rise among the electorate of the world’s only superpower, right up to and including the president ... Fundamentalist American Christianity is attacking science, but what is it offering instead? A mirror-image of Islamic extremism: an American Taliban. ibid.
How do we explain the mysteries of life? Science has steadily overturned old religious myths about how all this came to be. Yet those who adhere to Judaism, Christianity or Islam still prefer to ignore reason, and have faith in their for ever unprovable omniscient creator. I had thought Science was rolling back religious belief but I was wrong. Far from being beaten, militant faith is on the march all across the world with terrifying consequences. As a scientist I am increasingly worried about how Faith is undermining Science; it’s something we must resist. Richard Dawkins, The Root of All Evil? The Virus of Faith, Channel 4 2006
I believe unlike some of my scientific colleagues that the question of the existence of God or gods – supernatural beings – is a scientific question. Whereas other scientists will say it’s nothing to do with science; science and religion occupy two quite separate majesteria and don’t overlap. I think they do overlap. Richard Dawkins v Alister McGrath, Oxford Literary Festival 2007
It’s a simple fallacy to say oh well if there are limits to science there must be something to fill that gap – and what else could there be but religion. That is just not logical. ibid.
The God of the Gaps – the idea that if we find a place in science where science doesn’t have the knowledge to fill in the gap – then there is a tendency to say, Oh God must have done it. Richard Dawkins, Minnesota Radio 2008