Physicists and their religious beliefs?

Michaelrsh

For people who are physicists or people who are interested in physics, what are your beliefs when it comes to religion. I know this might be a highly trivial question but nearly everyone I've come across who has a connection in some way to the study of physics is either atheist or agnostic. Is this true?

wyrn

I've had this discussion before with a fellow friend who scoffed at me for having a faith. Ok it's a slightly Christian faith along the lines of the 10 commandments. Now I don't preach, I don't say I'm religious but I think the whole 'do unto others as you would have done to you' is a pretty standard moral code.

The reason why this became an issue as they had asked me what I thought of religion and I said I wanted to believe in something whether it be the Flying Spaghetti Monster or a combination of all the 'gods' out there. (Basically a reason for a higher purpose and that's we're not some sort of accident in a petri dish like that mentioned in one of Asimov's short stories, the name escapes me at the moment).

The other reason I've faith is I think it's a bit tragic and depressing to think that when we die, that's it, end of the road, fineto, closing time. Now I know and understand that's it but man that's sad. I have this image of an afterlife somewhat like that in the Carebears (bouncing around on clouds) or 'living' up there on the Great Snake Highway. It's purely out of selfish reasons, it's less morbid I think. I mean who wouldn't want a cloud car?!

This was brought up in a BBC article a while back. Interesting. I think back in the day they were pretty religious.

I think there's a bit of something for me in most faiths (cherry picking I know).

My 'gods' are Alice and Bob! Although I'm not certain.
Grabs coat

Turtwig

I know personal experience means almost jack sh1t but it would seem like I'm surrounded by people with little or no religious beliefs. Some of them still have deistic beliefs and thoughts about something else after death. Don't think any of them are theists believing in personal God who intervenes with the power of intercessory prayer.

I was where wyn was for ages, (and probably would have been forever) a sort of Christian Deist. Ufortunately when looking at the so called fined tuned physical constants arguments I became whisked into the Intelligent Design sh1te.(Not one of my proudest moments) The result of looking at that stuff critically has forever changed my view on religion and reality. I realised there was no coherent or flawless argument for the existence of a God. Now granted, using logical and reasoned thinking alone would probably never have gotten our minds are far as quantum mechanics and other counter intuitive phenomena that defy everyday common sense. So it is possible that a God still exists and that His existence is so counter intuitive we cannot possibly reason it by logic alone.
However, most theists apologetics deny these arguments to be fatally flawed even amid serious known logical fallacies. Time and time again, ideologies (not all always religious) have so dogmatically opposed the advanced of scientific research because the results didn't conform to their particular beliefs about reality. For this reason and the fact that there so many different religions out there with so many different contrasting beliefs. Plus the fact that some people on this planet have never heard of some of these religions and the fact that some of these people haven't even heard of the idea of God yet it makes me think that if there as a God out there, He's probably not the one that anyone human follows or believes in so rigidly.
I personally don't believe there is but I'm not one of those idiots who says science can "prove" eitherway. At least, not any of the God(s) we have described thus far.

Malty : agnostic atheist ignostic.

Oh and if there is an afterlife or punishment, I think the concept of infinite punishment for a finite crime* is infinitely unfair!

*Seriously though, non belief and other pedantic rules are classed as crimes.

Turtwig

Not meaning to sound overly pedantic here but the poll options are slightly fuddled.
Atheist - means lack of belief in a deity or deities.
Agnostic is the position that the truth behind a deity or deities existence is unknowable. It is not a theological position!

If your position is that you don't know whether or not there is a God but you don't want to believe either way then you are automatically lacking belief and thus an agnostic atheist.
If your position is that you believe in a God but think it impossible to know for certain whether he exists then you are an agnostic, but you are also a theist : agnostic theist.

All one has to do to be atheist is lack belief. You can either be an agnostic atheist or an agnostic theist. You can't however be just agnostic because that is by default a lack of belief.
I hope this clarifies it.:)

entropic

I went with Atheist in the poll because I feel that agnostic is too vague. I have made a life believing in what we see is what is but at the same time I cannot rule out a "god" or creator. I agree with wyrn that religions do preach good practice, the 10 commandments are just 10 of many ways you should live your life so your not a complete prick. I do however believe in Karma though not that the universe will make good things happen because you do good things but because if you do good things then generally you are in a better mood which makes you focus on good things and vice versa for bad things.

The Ricky Gervais movie The Invention of lying shows what I believe to be the main reason for religion and belief in a deity, fear of death. I have talked to many people on the subject and although many will admit that the Christian religion is probably wrong and that the institution as a whole is corrupt they maintain that something happens after death and that our consciousness goes somewhere. I am more inclined to think that is rubbish and there is nothing special about the fact we can think(other than the obvious amazement it has actually happened through evolution).

If I am wrong and there is a god with heaven and hell then I hope the fact I lived my life with actions that were in the most part of good intention will save my soul and I will be spared an eternity of whatever hell is.