Comments by "Mat Broomfield" (@matbroomfield) on "Neil deGrasse Tyson: Atheist or Agnostic? | Big Think" video.

Please understand which side of the fence people are on before lumping people into a category (ironically what Tyson himself was arguing against). I don't have a faith-based version of history, beyond a kind of semi-faith that the history books are correct. I'm wholly on the side of reason and science, and opposed to religious influence anywhere it has influence. I just wish Tyson was too. Unlike him, I have no problem declaring myself to be an anti-theist.
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Hmmm, so Tyson would rather avoid any label that forces him to nail his colours to a mast? He's the recipient of benefits that other fighters in the war have earned for him, but he wants to avoid offending people who would shut people like him down if they could? He's like that gay guy who was the press secretary for the homophobic politician - so long as the spotlight of prejudice isn't shining on him, he just wants to keep his head down. Just lost respect for the man.
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You might as well say, "How can you lose respect for a teacher who is not opposed to child abuse - it will always be around." His business depends on an environment where science is allowed to flourish. Religion has persecuted scientists for a lot of history, and is even now, anti-science, yet Tyson just wants to stand there, as a world famous scientist and say "Religion - mehhh, take it or leave it!"
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Wow - you strawmanned me twice in the first sentence - impressive! I didn't lose respect for him for being honest. I lost respect because he was dishonest. Because he suggests that there's no correlation between his activities as a scientist and educator, and beliefs. Because he suggests that you can sit on the sidelines of a war between science and faith, leeching the benefits of science whilst claiming neutrality. He's the switzerland of the science community.
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