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Perhaps there's just a big overlap between anti-science opinion and right-leaning opinions, these days, and a lot of readers on HN don't care much for the forme

Perhaps there's just a big overlap between anti-science opinion and right-leaning opinions, these days, and a lot of readers on HN don't care much for the former? Strictly speaking though, I think pro-science or anti-science is independent of left vs right. Edit: I think I've only used the downvote feature twice on HN, and in both times it was for promotion of a ridiculous Trump-related conspiracy theory. Consider me left-wing biased, which I certainly am these days.

version_five 4y ago
> pro-science or anti-science This is an absurd characterization that is only used by people who don't understand the difference between science and religion and think that calling someone "anti-science" is a way to avoid debate about their religious views. It's as embarrassing as it is offensive.
- lifeformed 4y ago
  They didn't say anything about religion - there are many non-religious anti-science views on the right, like climate denial and wild conspiracy theories. Plus, religious views that guide public policy and contradict science are fair to criticize.
  - ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
    I might be misreading the comment you're responding to, but I think it was describing science as a religion. The dichotomy of "pro-science" and "anti-science" elevates science to an almost religious stature. Science is fallible, it's very hard to do and just as hard to interpret. It's also not the right tool for a lot of issues. Increasingly people have been adopting being pro-science as a part of their identity as if science held some ultimate, unquestionable truth. To me it is akin to faith, it's an appeal to a higher authority that is used to shut down debate and paint some opinions as moral and others as immoral.
    - version_five 4y ago
      Yes exactly, thank you for putting it more clearly than I did
- incompatible 4y ago
  I'd be happy to debate science and religion, but I already did recently, and it would be off topic here. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30826921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30826921 I suppose pro- or anti-religion isn't completely orthogonal to left vs right politics. Support for a dominant religion is more likely to be found on the right, as a means of social control. A forum could be seen as left-leaning simply by having a policy that all contributors are equal and should be treated with respect. Desire for equality (of wealth and power) is pretty much the defining left-wing characteristic.

version_five 4y ago

> pro-science or anti-science This is an absurd characterization that is only used by people who don't understand the difference between science and religion and think that calling someone "anti-science" is a way to avoid debate about their religious views. It's as embarrassing as it is offensive.

lifeformed 4y ago
They didn't say anything about religion - there are many non-religious anti-science views on the right, like climate denial and wild conspiracy theories. Plus, religious views that guide public policy and contradict science are fair to criticize.
- ad404b8a372f2b9 4y ago
  I might be misreading the comment you're responding to, but I think it was describing science as a religion. The dichotomy of "pro-science" and "anti-science" elevates science to an almost religious stature. Science is fallible, it's very hard to do and just as hard to interpret. It's also not the right tool for a lot of issues. Increasingly people have been adopting being pro-science as a part of their identity as if science held some ultimate, unquestionable truth. To me it is akin to faith, it's an appeal to a higher authority that is used to shut down debate and paint some opinions as moral and others as immoral.
  - version_five 4y ago
    Yes exactly, thank you for putting it more clearly than I did
incompatible 4y ago
I'd be happy to debate science and religion, but I already did recently, and it would be off topic here. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30826921 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30826921 I suppose pro- or anti-religion isn't completely orthogonal to left vs right politics. Support for a dominant religion is more likely to be found on the right, as a means of social control. A forum could be seen as left-leaning simply by having a policy that all contributors are equal and should be treated with respect. Desire for equality (of wealth and power) is pretty much the defining left-wing characteristic.