I love science.  Although, I left the lab in 1976 and haven’t been back, I do have a major in chemistry and a minor in natural science.  I have 18 hours of science in my first Masters degree.  I worked in a lab for over four years and actually published a minor paper on nitrogen and phosphorous levels associated with catfish farming (aren’t you impressed?!).  So, while I certainly don’t claim to be a scientist anymore, I’m also not just some preacher with a seminary degree spouting off about science either.  Anything about science draws my attention immediately.

Hence, a recent story of a computer hacker stealing a large number of emails between leading climate scientists from around the world caught my attention.  And, it again demonstrates nothing that should surprise any of us—that there is human fallibility and even dishonesty even in “intellectual” matters.  Scientists are just people.  Hence, there are “good” ones and "bad" ones.  Some are very honest to a fault.  Some are most assuredly dishonest to a fault.  Many of the students I attended college with went on to all sorts of professional degrees, and I’m sure now work in important science professions of all kinds.  I personally witnessed a few of them cheating and so forth, and feel certain that those lapses in integrity weren’t just minor blips for some of them.  They surely would continue in that vein to a certain degree anyway throughout their careers.  

My point being that no one should be surprised when scientists err and have moral lapses anymore than one should be surprised when religious leaders err and behave similarly.   The Apostle Paul noted, that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  Thus, when anyone or group wittingly or unwittingly sets himself or themselves up as super-authorities on anything, we ought to become very wary.   Such pride surely comes before the inevitable fall that will ultimately follow.

Even religious leaders of all kinds, who we all rightfully expect to manifest the highest degree of integrity, have done such.  Christian leaders and their churches and organizatgions have committed some of the most atrocious acts imaginable.  Government leaders have done such throughout history.  And of late, although it is nothing new, many unbelievably harmful examples have been exposed among business leaders.  Power corrupts for sure.  Influence and respect are important forms of power.  And, today scientists have tremendous influence and power and are often treated with what borders on reverence, especially among those whose agendas are most served by their “findings” and “positions”.  Yes, I am aware of how so many pick their churches and their beliefs based on personal agendas rather than an honest search for the truth.

Over the years there have been notable examples of academic dishonesty among intellectuals.  The Piltdown man of the early 1900s, the Nebraska man of just a few years later, and the Ramapithecus found just a few years later all clearly demonstrate the willingness of scientists to commit fraud to gain attention and support their beliefs and causes (you can search any of these examples on the Internet and read about them if you want as they’re well-documented).  In each case, there was tremendous academic support for what were exposed to be complete frauds, even to the point of treating harshly those who had disagreed and “disbelieved”.  And, to be fair, it should be noted that Christian leaders have committed equally atrocious acts of dishonesty and such.  Sadly, “boys will be boys”, I suppose (and women not excluded either).

A couple of noted scientists, I forget their names right now and was too lazy to do the research, even suggested that life came about by extraterrestrials “seeding” life on earth.  I suppose that no evidence that this happened is needed for their theory in their own minds other than simply that life exists.  Of course, it’s much more feasible to them that extraterrestrials did it than God, as we can’t scientifically “prove” God.  But hey, who needs evidence about any alleged extraterrestrials either?  To my knowledge, it was never explained or even speculated on how the extraterrestrials came to be.  Just a minor detail that shouldn’t get in the way of random speculation masquerading as a scientific hypothesis, I suppose.

To bring to light some of the ironies of science, note how science deals with the insurmountable odds against their theories being true.  One such example is from Bill Bryson, writing in “A Short History of Nearly Everything”, discussing at length the “The Rise of Life” (ch. 19).  This is a fascinating book that I’ve been reading.  In presenting problems associated with understanding life’s beginnings, he discusses proteins.  Noting that there may be as many as a million types of protein in the human body and that to make protein amino acids have to assemble in particular orders, he explains that to make a single collagen molecule, 1055 amino acids must assembly in precisely the right sequence.  Thus he concludes that the chances of such spontaneous assembly “are frankly, nil” (p. 288).  Let that sink in.  The chances  are nil of a single molecule spontaneously assembling in the correct order to make one molecule necessary for life.  One molecule, not all of the intricacies of life as we know it!  No spontaneous protein assembly, no life as we know it.  Period.  And, those impossible odds are concerning one protein!

However, after a continued discussion of the astounding odds against life’s spontaneous and evolutionary development through nature, he then counters that, “The bottom line is that life is amazing and gratifying, perhaps even miraculous, but hardly impossible—as we repeatedly attest with our own modest existences” (p. 290).  Even miraculous!  Really?  So, since we exist, it has to be possible for life to occur through natural assembly.  Isn’t “Mother Nature” powerful?!  She even performs miracles!  That’s just dishonest.  And, in my honest and humble opinion, duplicitous and hypocritical really.