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Asked by mexicanimmagrants to Charlie, Eoin, Jemma, Julian, Steve on 22 Mar 2011.
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Eoin Lettice answered on 21 Mar 2011:
Hi mexican,
I think it’s important to be fair and not to allow personal beliefs interfere with the scientific evidence. I do not believe that scientists cant be religious – many scientists do practice a variety of religions.
Being a good scientist and having faith do not rule each other out!Eoin
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Julian Rayner answered on 21 Mar 2011:
Not necessarily – some scientists are religious and are still excellent scientists.
What IS important, is to keep you pre-conceived ideas out of your experiments. You should look at the data with a completely open mind, and see what it tells you. If your religion, or any other strong beliefs you hold, interfere with your impartiality, then you are not doing your job as a scientist. That’s also why collaboration is so important – sometimes by sharing data with other scientists, they will look at it in a completely different light, without any bias that you might have, even if you don’t realise you have it!
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Jemma Ransom answered on 21 Mar 2011:
Not at all, I know many scientists that hold religious beliefs and it doesn’t affect their work either way, in the same way that my non belief in god doesn’t affect my ability to work as a scientist.
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Stephen Moss answered on 21 Mar 2011:
Hi Mexican
No, though personally I would find it difficult to balance religious beliefs with the evidence that comes from scientific investigation. There are however, quite a few scientists who are also religious so it’s not impossible.
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Charlie Ryan answered on 22 Mar 2011:
hi mexicanimmagrants, no i don’t think there is much problem with being religious myself. For most scientists, if they did have religious beliefs, these would probably not come into conflict with their day-to-day research. I know many scientists who are religious, and they seem to have no problem with holding their views, and believing in something like say evolution.
I personal am not religious, but believe that there will always be room for a god in our understanding. Our understanding will never be complete, and god can fill in the gaps!
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