If only there were some sort of venue where people could socialize some sort of set of shared values to connect the daily struggles of the individual in the present moment to the community, and to the future... a way to build stories around what it means to be a good human being, and to teach the next generation how to live a better life. we could call it something like, say, "organized religion". funny thing, though, it seems to get a bad rap on these pages more often than not :b

for further reading, consider: http://www.amazon.com/Religion-Human-Evolution-Paleolithic-A...

Real scientists with half an ounce of amateur-level psychology and social-sciences under their belt ought to be capable of realizing that scientists writ large are capable of: having a variety of different personal goals (including desired sociopolitical outcomes), thinking intelligently about whether or not "militantism" in their belief system is the most effective way to achieve their goals all the time (or if they'd attract more flies with honey than vinegar), the extent to which it's ethical to inflict their beliefs and goals on an unwilling populace (whether that be university students or the people of the world), whether irrational behaviors are sometimes perhaps super-rational, and the role that this "religion" concept has played in human evolution and society.+

They're allowed a choice of answers, of course, so saying "all scientists should be militant atheists" is painting with a brush too broad.

They should also (generally speaking) welcome people from a diversity of cultures and ways of thinking, as these people can provide different perspectives on the questions in their field.

+ good book, btw: http://www.amazon.com/Religion-Human-Evolution-Paleolithic-A...