The Case for a Creator - Lee Strobel [43]
As he listened, Meyer removed his gold-rimmed glasses and started cleaning them with a handkerchief. He looked up at me and said, “That sounds fair. Go ahead. What’s your first question?”
I glanced down at my notes before speaking. “If the scientific evidence for theism is so compelling,” I began, “then why don’t more scientists believe in God? A study in 1966 showed that sixty percent of scientists either disbelieve or were doubtful about God, and the percentage goes up if you look at the most elite scientists.” 18
Meyer pursed his lips as he reflected on the question. “Initially, I’d say that it takes time for new discoveries to percolate and for their implications to be fully considered, and some of the best evidence for theism is very new,” he said. “Scientists who are focused on one particular field may not be aware of discoveries in other fields that point toward theism.
“Also, the materialistic worldview has exercised dominance on intellectual life in western culture for a hundred and fifty years. It has become the default worldview in science, philosophy, and academia in general. It’s presupposed. Some people who dissent from it have experienced intense hostility and sometimes persecution. That could discourage others from exploring this area or speaking out favorably toward it.”
This point reminded me of a quote by Sandage, who once told a reporter that the scientific community is so scornful of faith that “there is a reluctance to reveal yourself as a believer, the opprobrium is so severe.” 19
“Finally,” continued Meyer, “within the scientific culture there are belief systems that are philosophically very questionable. For instance, many believe that science must only allow naturalistic explanations, which excludes from consideration the design hypothesis. Many scientists put blinders on, refusing to acknowledge that evidence, and a kind of ‘group think’ develops.”
His answer sounded plausible, but it prompted a second line of inquiry. “There’s a flip side to that issue,” I said. “Skeptic Michael Shermer said almost all the people he sees in the Intelligent Design movement are Christians. 20 Doesn’t that undermine the legitimacy of their science? Maybe they’re only looking for what they want to find and aren’t open to naturalistic explanations that might be sufficient.”
This challenge seemed to push a button with Meyer. “Every scientist has a motive,” he said firmly, “but motives are irrelevant to assessing the validity of scientific theories, a case in court, or an argument in philosophy. You have to respond to the evidence or argument that’s being offered, regardless of who offers it or why. If every person in the Intelligent Design movement were a fundamentalist who attends Baptist Bible Church, it wouldn’t matter. Their arguments have to be weighed on their own merits.”
“But is this an exclusively Christian movement?” I asked.
“No, it’s not,” he replied. “There are scientists who are proponents of intelligent design who are agnostic or Jewish, but I still don’t think that’s relevant. The vast majority of people who advocate Darwinism are naturalists or materialists, so you could play the motive-mongering game either way.
“Besides, look at it this way: if a scientist becomes persuaded by the evidence that theism is true and thus becomes a follower of God, should he or she then be disqualified from doing science in that area? Of course not. I say let’s get beyond this side issue and let the evidence speak for itself. Is design the best explanation or not?”
“That leads to the third question,” I said. “If scientists do allow the possibility of the miraculous as an explanation, then doesn’t that foreclose further investigation? Biologist Kenneth Miller has suggested that inferring the existence of an intelligent designer would result in a scientific dead-end. 21 Why continue to explore an area scientifically once you’ve thrown up your