Belief system changes with education

[chbare]

An interesting scenario occurred a while back. One of the classes I teach is a physics course for allied health students with an emphasis on using evidence and experimentation to illustrate the various lecture topics. During one semester, a student who was also involved in taking chemistry and a genetics class asked me an interesting question. He asked me if I believed in God. Apparently, he had been a rather devout Catholic until he started college and was beginning to question his beliefs and asking religious/belief type questions of his instructors and professors. Clearly, he was experiencing a powerful paradigm shift as a result of his educational experience. I do not necessarily want to go on a religion versus agnostic and atheism rant, but rather want to ask a broad spanning question. Have you had a similar experience or have you challenged something you believed in because of your educational experiences or perhaps life experiences? This need not be isolated to faith.

I hope for productive and thoughtful dialogue. I wonder if this isn't something more students experience but perhaps do not fully explore. Perhaps there exist psychosocial considerations as well.

[ERDoc]

I was never a devout (insert any religion here) but I did believe in god. As junior high and high school rolled around and I took more science classes (especially Bio and Physics) I started to question and soon realized that I no longer believed. Wanting to make a truly informed decision (is that possible in something like this?), I started to read books by noted atheists which made me critically evaluate the bible as a whole and not just the happy parts they teach in Sunday school. Needless to say, it was quite eye opening and, pardon the pun, a revelation.

[MariB]

It is interesting to speak to different healthcare professionals and scientists about this. I have know both to have beliefs strongly both ways. Doctors who believe they get their knowledge and surgeons who believe God guides their hands while education guides their brain.

I think they will find ways to believe either way.

I believe in evolution, but who is to say our time line is the same as Gods? His day maybe our century. I don't know. I just choose to keep Science and religion separate.

[chbare]

It is true that there are scientists who have faith and scientists that do not have faith. However, the basic trend does support increased levels of atheism as educational experience increases. Some of the highest numbers of atheists exist among elite scientists, but many factors may also probably play a role in determining what people believe. With that said, I do think it is still important to think about what happens as students begin to confront their beliefs as they begin to use the scientific process to make reliable, verifiable and reproducible predictions about the world.

[Happiness]

I do not believe in the Bible. I do believe in God. It may not be the same god as you, but I do believe that there is some sort of higher power as some say.

I have never questioned it, nor have I had any reason to.

[chbare]

Fair enough; however, I am sorry if I gave any indication that I had a belief in the traditional concept of "God."

[ERDoc]

Not to take this too far off topic so early, but for those that do believe in a god but not the bible, do you believe that the god resembles the one in the bible? Is anyone here polytheistic?

[Kaisu]

The more education I get, the more my view of God expands. The more I study the Bible, archeological and anthropological context, the more it's divine truths shine through. It's scary in the initial stages of the inquiry because the old familiar touchstones fall away and I am in an unpleasant tension. As the cycle unfolds, I am humbled, awed and elated.

[paramedicmike]

Yes. Specifically from a theological standpoint the more religious instruction I received the more my views changed. The more science education I received the more my theological views changed.

[chbare]

This may seem like baiting, but for those who feel more secure in their faith after receiving formal education, did you find yourself applying the scientific process and the demand for evidence to back up religious claims? For example, how did or do you reconcile certain fundamental dogmatic statements?

Great question ERDoc. From a historic context, polytheism is certainly important and I can actually see the appeal of polytheism, particularly in terms of early humanity where science was in it's infancy. I certainly am not limiting this discussion to any specific religion or belief system.