In my last post, I expressed some surprise at the fact that I am still a Christian, and that was genuine. But at the same time, I also find it perfectly reasonable and rational to be a Christian. Which, as you can probably imagine, is pretty important to someone who is scientifically inclined. And so I thought it was worth exploring a bit more of why it is that I am a Christian and how that fits in with my methodical approach to, well, just about everything (as my long-suffering wife can attest).
An important part of any rigorous scientific undertaking is to be aware of your biases. It may be tempting to think that all science is impartial and free of bias, and some might even cultivate that perception. But the reality is that any research, and really the scientific enterprise as a whole, involves some bias or another. Learning may in fact require bias. That doesn’t mean all biases are created equal, or that there is no reason to ever try to reduce bias. But it does mean it cannot be done away with, and so the next best option is to be clear about it.
And so, in the spirit of transparency, I freely acknowledge that my upbringing in a Christian home and in the church certainly contributed to my Christian beliefs. I would even go so far as to allow that it might be reasonable, as some have done, to characterize Christianity as a meme that I have contracted by virtue of interaction with other Christians. I certainly didn’t derive it from a set of indisputable first principles, nor did I come to it by means of some new direct revelation from God to me and me alone. I received it as a whole set of doctrines and practices from others; more correctly, I received various bits of doctrine and practice from a variety of Christians which I synthesized and recombined, and have possibly passed on to new folks. [Read more…] about Why I’m (Still) A Christian – Part I