Why do some Christians in this forum pose scientific questions to atheists rather than scientists?
In a very real sense, I think they don’t understand the difference. For some very religious people, it can be hard to think outside of the framework of “religion,” such that if they encounter an idea that runs contrary to their beliefs, they assume that it must be a different religion. For creationists, for example, this leads to the belief that evolution is a religious, rather than a scientific, idea. To argue against it, they therefore seek out those they believe to be adherents of that “religion” — atheists. These ideas are clearly incorrect to us, but their worldview shapes their perception of the world around them, including science. It distorts the field of scientific inquiry into an Us versus Them ideological battlefield. Failing to understand the purpose of scientific study and the way science works, they think that if they “defeat” a scientific idea, they will “disprove” atheism and therefore reveal their own religion to be correct. Thankfully, not all Christians think or beh
