{"id":1198,"date":"2016-12-24T10:52:50","date_gmt":"2016-12-24T09:52:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/?p=63578\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:06","slug":"taking-the-bible-literally-borders-on-insanity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/12\/24\/taking-the-bible-literally-borders-on-insanity\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Taking the Bible literally borders on insanity’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Name: Bart Leeuwenburgh<\/p>\n

Position: Programme director<\/p>\n

Faculty: Faculty of Philosophy<\/p>\n

Religion: Atheism<\/p>\n

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\u201cOf course, I can\u2019t say with absolute certainty that God does not exist. In that sense, Christians and atheists are very similar: I believe that God does not exist, while they believe that God does exist. I do think it is extremely likely that God does not exist, so I will continue believing that, until the opposite has been proved. Let me give you a comparison: I could also posit that a teapot is circling around Saturn, but it really is more likely that this is not the case.<\/p>\n

When I was about fifteen or sixteen, I pulled away from the Christian religion because I got stuck on theodicy, which is a well-known problem among philosophers: \u2018If God is almighty, why is there so much suffering?\u2019 Later, while I was doing a PhD on the way in which Darwin\u2019s theory of natural selection was received in the Netherlands, I was strengthened in my conviction that God does not exist.<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018I could also posit that a teapot is circling around Saturn, but it really is more likely that this is not the case.\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

A scientist\u2019s religion should not affect their work. If a scientist allowed their religion to do so, they should resign from their position. Not that this actually happens, I think. People work at universities not to be religious, but rather to engage in science.<\/p>\n

I do find it hard to believe that people who take the Bible literally \u2013 i.e., people who believe that planet Earth was created in six days and is six thousand years old \u2013 can be scientists. Of course they are free to hold such beliefs, but to me, they border on insanity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more about religious views on campus in our Christmas special<\/h2>