[fallenspec]

The fact was that I wasn't right. They were doing decent work and their beliefs didn't affect their work.

A lot of non-believers (in the past I would have include myself in that list) seem to believe because they don't believe in a higher being that they are somehow more "rational". Nothing could be further from the truth. It took me a long time to realise that I wasn't being more rational than the faithful and I dogmatic about things that were simply quasi-religious. It took a lot of introspection and several times I had moments where my ideology hit reality hard and I spent several days dealing with cognitive dissonance and having to accept I was just wrong.

[pb7]

Believing in something that lacks any evidence is textbook irrationality. It is also at odds with science.

[umanwizard]

Indeed, but I think that was the point. It's entirely possible to hold irrational beliefs in one area without them affecting your work in another area.

Whether you think it's at odds or not, in practice many great scientists have been devoutly religious. For example Newton.