John Horton wrote (in very small part):

    "The learned author of the above statement about God/faith/science
might be surprised to know that most of the founders of the modern
scientific disciplines were Bible-believing scientists."

    In my extensive reading of biographies of ground-breaking scientists
during these past few decades , I don't find Horton's statement to be
true.  I thus appreciate Keith's subsequent comment, "Lets keep our
dates and theories and facts straight."

     For me, "founders of modern scientific disciplines," include
scientists such as Galileo and Darwin, both of whom were forced by
evidence to reverse their previous commitment to religious dogma.
Darwin is a particular case in point, as  covered in many publications.
  On 19 September of this year, for instance, John Darnton wrote an
essay for the Los Angeles Times about Darwin entitled, "The devolution
of a believer."

    In that essay Darnton described the trauma Darwin experienced, in
part as follows:  "Darwin was paying the price for following the
dictates of scientific principles to their logical end.  When he began
his career as a naturalist, he was a believer — originally he wanted to
become a country vicar — but he followed his formidable intellect
wherever it led, and it caused him to become the instrument that would
overturn the hallowed dogma of Western religion."

    We can turn to some of Darwin's own words of 1876 on this matter
(from page 141 in a 1958 biography by Nora Barlow):  "

"From my early youth I have had the strongest desire to understand or
explain whatever I observed, — that is, to group all facts under some
general laws. ... As far as I can judge, I am not apt to follow blindly
the lead of other men.  I have steadily endeavored to keep my mind
free, so as to give up any hypothesis, however much beloved..., as soon
as facts are opposed to it.  Indeed I have had no choice but to act in
this manner... I cannot remember a single first-formed hypothesis which
had not after a time to be given up or greatly modified.  This has
naturally led me to distrust greatly deductive reasoning in the mixed
sciences."

    I marvel at how closely I have been forced to follow the same
philosophy (without any real regret).  My guiding principle that has
evolved in bee research:  What bees really do is far more important
than what we would like them to do or what dogma ("fixed idea")
dictates that they should do.  We scientists must heed ALL facts (as
Darwin insisted upon, above) and not "follow blindly the lead of other
men" if we are to advance scientific knowledge.

    That stubbornness has not come without a great price, but I sleep
well at night!

                                                                                                Adrian


Adrian M. Wenner                (805) 963-8508 (home office phone)
967 Garcia Road                 [log in to unmask]
Santa Barbara, CA  93103        www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/index.htm

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*   "People believe a 'fact' that fits their views even if it's clearly
false"

*                       Sharon Begley, Wall Street Journal, 4 February 2005
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