Just the Facts

Recently I read the thought-provoking book Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt, an economist from the University of Chicago (my graduate alma mater). Levy argues that if morality is the way things should be, then economics is the way things are. Through the analysis of large sets of data, he debunks conventional wisdom on a variety of subjects from the reasons for the decrease in crime rates (its not gun control or better policing), to cheating in schools, to supposedly wealthy drug dealers who still live with their moms. His main point: time and energy constraints prevent most of us from examining the facts – we would rather go by conventional wisdom, which is often wrong.

In the realm of popular religion, the fallacy of conventional wisdom is exacerbated. “Because that’s the way it is.” “Because that’s what my grandmother believed.” “Because the Bible says so.” These statements are used to justify all kinds of beliefs, which have nothing to do with the facts. For example, let’s examine some recent “controversial” news stories in which religious beliefs were the prime motivating factor.

“Pastor” Fred Phelps pickets soldier’s funerals because he believes that American soldiers in Iraq are being killed as Divine retribution against the United States because we are a godless country. Why? Because we “tolerate” homosexuals, rather than execute them as Phelps recommends. Beyond the hatred and bad theology, this assertion is a monumental leap of logic. Soldiers are killed because they are shot with bullets and blown up with bombs. What does God have to do with it?

President Bush endorses “intelligent design” as an acceptable alternative “theory” that should be taught in public schools. Because he is not a scientist, I assume his endorsement stems from his religious beliefs (or political allegiance to certain religious groups). A scientific theory is an established and experimentally verified fact or collection of facts about the world. Unlike the everyday use of the word theory, it is not an unproved idea, or just some theoretical speculation. The latter meaning of a “theory” in science is called a hypothesis. Evolution is a theory that has been tested and verified over and over again. It provides a reasonably good answer to the “how” question of creation. It cannot answer the “why” question. Science is based on facts but that doesn’t mean it has an exclusive claim to Truth. But, then, neither does religion. To use an example from philosopher Ken Wilbur, think of a building with two different floors. Many scientists and theologians argue that science tells us about one floor and religion about the other floor. But what if science and religion told us something different about each floor? Start with the facts – life evolves. What can science tell us about this fact? What can religion tell us? Of course, teaching religious viewpoints in school (i.e. intelligent design) raises legitimate concerns about the separation of church and state. Which religious viewpoint should be taught? What if the view is not the one your religion accepts?

Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” I say, “The unexamined belief is not worth listening to or defending.” Before you accept someone’s message as truth, do some investigating. Research the facts. Not everything that “sounds right” is right.