Threatening Morality: Religious and Political Opposition to Science in the United States
Recent research suggests that religious opposition to science in the United States is rooted in a belief that science threatens morality. We test this claim using a survey of United States adults (n = 3,763). Regression results indicate that the religious are more likely than the nonreligious to bel...
| Published in: | Journal for the scientific study of religion |
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| Authors: | ; |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
2021
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| In: |
Journal for the scientific study of religion
Year: 2021, Volume: 60, Issue: 3, Pages: 628-644 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
USA
/ Religiosity
/ Science
/ Rejection of
/ Moral sense
/ Danger
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| RelBib Classification: | AD Sociology of religion; religious policy CB Christian life; spirituality CF Christianity and Science KBQ North America NCA Ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Public Opinion
B United States B Science B Politics |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Recent research suggests that religious opposition to science in the United States is rooted in a belief that science threatens morality. We test this claim using a survey of United States adults (n = 3,763). Regression results indicate that the religious are more likely than the nonreligious to believe that science breaks down people's understanding of right and wrong, which we call moral opposition to science. However, the strength of this relationship varies by political ideologies. While moral opposition to science is relatively high among conservatives regardless of religiosity, secular and religious liberals differ widely in their beliefs about science's moral meaning. In fact, moral opposition to science among religious liberals is nearly as high as it is among secular conservatives. These findings accentuate the moral dimension of the science–religion interface and they underscore the importance of religion for understanding political opposition to science. |
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| ISSN: | 1468-5906 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal for the scientific study of religion
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1111/jssr.12731 |