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Perhaps it's the reverse. Perhaps those who tend not to have supernatural beliefs gravitate toward the science and engineering fields.
Yes, I read a news article about a science studies that showed that atheists seems to use science like theists use faith. (Or actually, that stressed nonreligious show more partisanship to science as opposed to non-stressed while stressed religious show more partisanship to their faith than non-stressed religious.)
Are engineers and scientists more likely to be Atheists or Agnostics?
Yep definitely.
I'm surrounded by scientists / chemical engineers etc in my family. All but one of the scientist-types are atheists.
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Originally Posted by timfountain
Interesting responses. I really believe it is worthy of further research. I have a feeling that it is a left brain/right brain kind of thing.
Could be.
I think it's a case of having an inquisitive mind - being in an environment that provides you with answers to questions, sometimes answers to some of the big questions about life and the universe. Atheism is just a natural progression of that. The more you understand about how the world works, the more you realise how redundant god is as a concept.
I'm inclined to believe that scientists who do more theoretical work, dealing with the mysteries of nature itself, are more likely to be atheist than engineers and medical doctors whose job is to use science to solve practical problems. IMO it's easier for engineers and doctors to think that God created science when their job is to use pre-derived equations and biological mechanisms to build a spacecraft or perform a heart transplant.
I'm inclined to believe that scientists who do more theoretical work, dealing with the mysteries of nature itself, are more likely to be atheist than engineers and medical doctors whose job is to use science to solve practical problems. IMO it's easier for engineers and doctors to think that God created science when their job is to use pre-derived equations and biological mechanisms to build a spacecraft or perform a heart transplant.
Yes, applied technology can be compartmentalized from science and the philosophy of science, and some form of ID substituted, and then you can praise god for providing you with those tools, as if technology is born in theological seminaries or springs whole from god's forehead or something.
It is no different than thanking god for sparing you from cancer, rather than the doctors and surgeons who actually deserve the credit.
I would think so. It's just anecdote, but a much larger chunk of my engineering co-workers and friends are atheist when compared to other people I know. I think people involved in careers that may require more critical thinking are less likely to believe in a God. Even the ones who do I suspect are much more casual and moderate about it.
I'm inclined to believe that scientists who do more theoretical work, dealing with the mysteries of nature itself, are more likely to be atheist than engineers and medical doctors whose job is to use science to solve practical problems. IMO it's easier for engineers and doctors to think that God created science when their job is to use pre-derived equations and biological mechanisms to build a spacecraft or perform a heart transplant.
My experience is that engineers are not significantly different in their religiosity than the average public, but I grew up in North Alabama, where a thrown rock would likely hit 2 churches and 3 engineers. In my own family, my grandfather, dad, 2 uncles, and 2 cousins are all engineers ( ok, one computer science professor and an IT guy are in the mix...). I am the only non-believer in the bunch.
I think many engineers are so used to approaching the world as a design problem, that it isn't a stretch to attribute the universe to a designer. Scientists I think are more skeptical becasue they are asking "why?". Most of us engineers are worried about "how?", the underlying principles are less important.
I think religiosity is formed in early years, way before studying engineering. Religious belief is kind of like firmware or BIOS, whereas formal education is more akin to the operating system. I once had a colleauge, very, very smart radar engineer who was really religious. I asked him, "Dan, you're so smart, how can you believe in a god?", "He came back with, Mr. Boring, you're so smart, how can you NOT believe in god?"
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Are engineers and scientists more likely to be Atheists or Agnostics?
