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Article: Scientists and religion.
- Article from:
- The Humanist
- Article date:
- July 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 American Humanist Association. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Nature magazine reported on a new study of the religious beliefs of scientists in its April 3,1997, issue. The study, conducted by University of Georgia historian Edward J. Larson and Washington journalist Larry Witham, replicated as closely as possible a study done in 1914 by psychologist and humanist James H. Leuba.
Larson and Witham found that the percentage of scientists who believe in a personal deity has remained rather stable while belief in personal immortality has declined considerably and the desire for personal immortality even more. The authors recognized that opinion polling about religion is tricky but chose to replicate Leuba's original study for ...