fundamental basis

Posted by Sprocket on August 27, 1998 at 15:27:32:

In Reply to: Leading scientists still reject God posted by Chris on August 23, 1998 at 21:04:35:

: The statistic for mathematicians was especially interesting, considering our own Robert O'Brien, the proud mathematics major. Why do "great" mathematicians more readily believe in God? What is it about belief in a personal God and the study of mathematics that produces this phenomenon? Any thoughts or comments?

My theory:

I seem to recall from some math course (maybe it was set theory) the statement that all of mathematics is ultimately based on certain fundamental premises that can't be proven.
We say "by definition" 1 is 1, 2 is 2 etc. then define some rules of the game and a whole world of internally consistent conclusions can be drawn by combining the basic concepts and using deduction or inference.

In religion, you take certain fundamental premises "on faith": there is a God, God is omnipotent, etc. etc.
Then you can deduce similarly internally consistent conclusions.

This I think is why there is a greater tendency for mathmaticians to be 'believers'.

I have sometimes asked myself why my brother and sister and I have had a similar aptitude for math. Could it be related to our common religious education.
We were raised as Christian Scientists. The founder and leader of this religion based it on 'scientific method', and her text often reads like: premise, premise, premise, therefore CONCLUSION!
I feel it trained me in a very structured, logic based approach to the world.

However, unlike fundamentalists, I take the bible stories as metaphor and symbolism. I think debating the truth or falseness of the literal interpretation is fruitless.