Skepchick Presents: A Conversation with Dr. Eugenie Scott (Part 2)

Sam Ogden, contributing writer for the wildly popular skeptical blog, Skepchick, sits down with Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education for a conversation about the NCSE, the evolution of the creationist movement, women in science and skepticism, and more.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• science
• evolution
• Skepchick
• Eugenie
• Scott
• Texas
• State
• Board
• of
• Education
• Sam
• Ogden

[1927Solvay]

99% of the time, I agree with Eugenie Scott but I have to disagree with her on atheism being an ideology.

Is "not stamp collecting" a hobby or ideology?

[radiometricx]

"Atheism is an '-ism', it's an ideology."

She really disappointed me, when she said that. Atheism is only an "-ism" because it's a modified version of the word "theism" and it definitely is not an ideology.

[eahazell]

texas doing their part to dumb down the rest of the country

[stderr0]

No Eugenie, atheism is not an ideology. Atheism is the lack of belief in god. That is all it means. Everything else is up for grabs,

[ReddmanDGZ]

teach the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory... ok... My interpretation of that is to teach the possible weaknesses that were brought up through the history of a theory and then explain how those weaknesses were refuted. It could give insight to students about how the peer review process works.

[ArranoGris]

I agree with you and this is one of the things that frustrates me. I don't like saying "I'm an atheist" because...well, that says nothing about me. It only says something about something I DON'T espouse. Yet, it is so odd--apparently--to not believe in sky-beings that there HAS to be a word for it. You're right, it is as ridiculous as saying I'm a non-stamp-collector or a non-color-pink-liker. Unfortunately, it's a necessary evil until it becomes more acceptable to lack belief in god(s).

[leporidus]

It's a semantic and linguistic pitfall to equate »-isms« with ideologies. Trivial examples are tourism, mongolism, mechanism or atavism.

»Atheism« means lack of belief in deities. As other commenters pointed out, there is not a hint of ideology — except if one also is a Marxist, or a humanist, or a libertarian or a liberal etc; atheism is orthogonal to most other stances. But so is science, if filtered through the following very human ability: compartmentalization.

[lordcheetah]

Ugh. What the hell is wrong with her? She's misrepresenting atheism again at the end. The supernatural that is untestable lies outside of the realm of science, and lacking evidence, we treat it as if it doesn't exist. Every time we test the falsifiable part of the supernatural, the tests have always failed to provide evidence for the supernatural. So again, we treat it as if it doesn't exist. The supernatural and paranormal are truth claims. Why does she give them a pass?

[lordcheetah]

I agree.

A - without

theism - belief in deity

That make atheism the total opposite of an -ism.

It pisses me off moreso when smart reasonable people misrepresent it.

[acftmech777]

I really like Dr. Eugenie Scott Every interview I have seen her in has been great. Thanks