How to spot a hidden religious agenda: So I thought I'd share a few tips for spotting what may be religion in science's clothing.
Red flag number one: the term "scientific materialism". [...]
The invocation of Cartesian dualism - where the brain and mind are viewed as two distinct entities, one material and the other immaterial - is also a red flag. [...]
Misguided interpretations of quantum physics are a classic hallmark of pseudoscience [...]
When you come across the terms "Darwinism" or "Darwinists", take heed. True scientists rarely use these terms, and instead opt for "evolution" and "biologists", respectively. When evolution is described as a "blind, random, undirected process", be warned. [...] If an author wishes for "academic freedom", it is usually ID code for "the acceptance of creationism".
Some general sentiments are also red flags. Authors with religious motives make shameless appeals to common sense [...]
Religiously motivated authors also have a bad habit of linking the cultural implications of a theory to the truth-value of that theory. [...]
It is crucial to the public's intellectual health to know when science really is science. Those with a religious agenda will continue to disguise their true views in their effort to win supporters, so please read between the lines.
