--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no question but that nominally…" description: "\"There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/sam-harris-457_accommodations_there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally_6986.jpg" --- # There is no question but that nominally religious… ![“There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by the accommodations they have made to religious irrationality.” quote by Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/sam-harris-457_accommodations_there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally_6986.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/sam-harris-457_accommodations_there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally_6986.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/58c/sam-harris-457_accommodations_there-is-no-question-but-that-nominally_6986.jpg) > “There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. Miller are doing lasting harm to our discourse by the accommodations they have made to religious irrationality.” [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The claim argues that scientists who publicly endorse religious beliefs compromise rational discourse, as their stance legitimizes irrational viewpoints within scientific debates. **In simple terms:** Scientists endorsing religion erode rational discourse. Key Takeaway Religious accommodation in science harms dialogue. Themes science vs. religion public intellectual responsibility rational discourse cognitive bias public perception Mood critical concerned skeptical Type opinion critique argument When to use this quote - policy advisory panels - university curricula - media interviews - public debates Key Concepts science communication religious influence intellectual integrity public trust Practical Applications - Develop guidelines for secular scientific communication - Create training on separating personal belief from professional statements Questions to Reflect On - How does personal belief affect scientific credibility? - What mechanisms can protect discourse from bias? A Different Perspective Some argue that personal faith can coexist with scientific rigor, enhancing empathy and public engagement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accommodations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accommodations/) [Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discourse/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Harm Discourse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm-discourse-322538/) [Irrationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/irrationality/) [Kenneth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kenneth/) [Lasting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lasting/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Nominally Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nominally-religious-322537/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Religious Irrationality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-irrationality-322536/) [Religious Scientists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious-scientists-322535/) [Scientist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scientist/) ## Related quotes > [I think that the issues we have with science these days are not restricted to what's happening with respect to religion. 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I think the problem here is that in our school systems, and to some degree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/there-are-a-lot-of-very-religious-scientists-around-i-think-the/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [We will see that the greatest problem confronting civilization is not merely religious extremism: rather, it is the larger set of cultural and intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-will-see-that-the-greatest-problem-confronting-civilization-is-not/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Some years ago John Kenneth Galbraith wrote in an essay on his efforts at writing a history of economics: 'As one approaches the present,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-pais/some-years-ago-john-kenneth-galbraith-wrote-in-an-essay-on-his/) [Abraham Pais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-pais/) > [John Kenneth Galbraith and Marshall McLuhan are the two greatest modern Canadians that the U.S. has produced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-burgess/john-kenneth-galbraith-and-marshall-mcluhan-are-the-two-greatest/) [Anthony Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-burgess/) > [I am inspired by my mother's faith and the teaching I receive under the leadership of Bishop Kenneth C. 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I'm not that single-minded, 'I'm producing it, directing it, and starring in it' kind of person; that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hollander/i-m-no-kenneth-branagh-or-ben-stiller-i-m-not-that-single-minded-i-m/) [Tom Hollander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hollander/) > [All great economists are tall. There are two exceptions: John Kenneth Galbraith and Milton Friedman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-stigler/all-great-economists-are-tall-there-are-two-exceptions-john-kenneth/) [George Stigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-stigler/) > [I Kenneth Robert Livingstone, having been elected to the office of mayor of London, declare that I take that office upon myself, and will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-kenneth-robert-livingstone-having-been-elected-to-the-office-of/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [The three greatest people in my life as a young person were white, my high school superintendent, my high school coach and a -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-brown/the-three-greatest-people-in-my-life-as-a-young-person-were-white-my/) [Jim Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-brown/) ## More by Sam Harris > [“Moderates in every faith are obliged to loosely interpret (or simply ignore) much of their canons in the interests of living in the modern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/moderates-in-every-faith-are-obliged-to-loosely-interpret-or-simply/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [We have Christians against Muslims against Jews, and no matter how liberal your theology, merely identifying yourself as a Christian or a Jew lends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-have-christians-against-muslims-against-jews-and-no-matter-how/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Your principal concern appears to be that the Creator of the universe will take offense at something people do while naked. This prudery of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/your-principal-concern-appears-to-be-that-the-creator-of-the-universe/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“As manuals for contemplative understanding, the Bible and the Koran are worse than useless. Whatever wisdom can be found in their pages is never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/as-manuals-for-contemplative-understanding-the-bible-and-the-koran/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [About 120 million of us place the big bang 2,500 years after the Babylonians and Sumerians learned to brew beer. If our polls are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/about-120-million-of-us-place-the-big-bang-2-500-years-after-the/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“If your golf instructor were to insist that you shave your head, sleep no more than four hours each night, renounce sex, and subsist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/if-your-golf-instructor-were-to-insist-that-you-shave-your-head-sleep/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The fact that one can lose one's sense of self in an ocean of tranquility does not mean that one's consciousness is immaterial or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-fact-that-one-can-lose-one-s-sense-of-self-in-an-ocean-of/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The second commandment is "Thou shall not construct any graven images." Is this really the pinnacle of what we can achieve morally? The second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-second-commandment-is-thou-shall-not-construct-any-graven-images/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“But the reality of consciousness appears irreducible. Only consciousness can know itself—and directly, through first-person experience.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/but-the-reality-of-consciousness-appears-irreducible-only/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Whether or not one likes Huntington's formulation, one thing is clear: the evil that has finally reached our shores is not merely the evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/whether-or-not-one-likes-huntington-s-formulation-one-thing-is-clear/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The problem is that religion tends to give people bad reasons to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-problem-is-that-religion-tends-to-give-people-bad-reasons-to-be/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [Muslim moderates, wherever they are, must be given every tool necessary to win a war of ideas with their co-religionists. Otherwise, we will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/muslim-moderates-wherever-they-are-must-be-given-every-tool-necessary/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The idea that any one of our religions represents the infallible word of the One True God requires an encyclopedic ignorance of history, mythology,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/the-idea-that-any-one-of-our-religions-represents-the-infallible-word/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“What could possibly cause billions of human beings to reconsider their religious beliefs? And yet, it is obvious that an utter revolution in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/what-could-possibly-cause-billions-of-human-beings-to-reconsider/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Take a moment to think about the context in which your next decision will occur: You did not pick your parents or the time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/take-a-moment-to-think-about-the-context-in-which-your-next-decision/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) [Explore all 543 Sam Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) ## More Accommodations quotes > [I describe family values as responsibility towards others, increase of tolerance, compromise, support, flexibility. 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The innkeeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/one-response-was-given-by-the-innkeeper-when-mary-and-joseph-wanted/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [The public thinks that homelessness is about not having any accommodation to go to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iain-duncan-smith/the-public-thinks-that-homelessness-is-about-not-having-any/) [Iain Duncan Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iain-duncan-smith/) > [The Constitution does not require complete separation of church and state; it affirmatively mandates accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions, and forbids hostility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-e-burger/the-constitution-does-not-require-complete-separation-of-church-and/) [Warren E. Burger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-e-burger/) > [We are (most of us) embedded in an exceedingly complex network of social relationships, many of which are vital to our well-being. Every day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-corning/we-are-most-of-us-embedded-in-an-exceedingly-complex-network-of/) [Peter Corning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-corning/) > [God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-edwards/god-is-the-highest-good-of-the-reasonable-creature-the-enjoyment-of/) [Jonathan Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-edwards/) > [Legislators in Kansas, Arizona and 23 other states who are properly determined to protect religious freedom can begin by asking themselves: Does any religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-blankenhorn/legislators-in-kansas-arizona-and-23-other-states-who-are-properly/) [David Blankenhorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-blankenhorn/) > [We will see that the greatest problem confronting civilization is not merely religious extremism: rather, it is the larger set of cultural and intellectual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/we-will-see-that-the-greatest-problem-confronting-civilization-is-not/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The Christian is the most contented man in the world, but he is the least contented with the world. He is like a traveler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/the-christian-is-the-most-contented-man-in-the-world-but-he-is-the/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Never once have Democrats benefited from attempts at reasonableness and compromise and accommodation. To the contrary, Bush and his team seem to view political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-jordan/never-once-have-democrats-benefited-from-attempts-at-reasonableness/) [Jim Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-jordan/) > [I crave fit disposition for my wife; Due reference of place, and exhibition; With such accommodation, and besort, As levels with her breeding.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/i-crave-fit-disposition-for-my-wife-due-reference-of-place-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Chance... in the accommodation peculiar to sensorimotor intelligence, plays the same role as in scientific discovery. It is only useful to the genius and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/chance-in-the-accommodation-peculiar-to-sensorimotor-intelligence/) [Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/) > [Here is one optimists reason for believing unity will prevail ... within the next hundred years ... nationhood as we know it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/strobe-talbott/here-is-one-optimists-reason-for-believing-unity-will-prevail-within/) [Strobe Talbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/strobe-talbott/) > [So, for example, if a child is labeled as having a learning disability, it has very concrete consequences for the kinds of services and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-sternberg/so-for-example-if-a-child-is-labeled-as-having-a-learning-disability/) [Robert Sternberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-sternberg/) > [Every week I'll be spending money on flights, accommodation, stringing and even things as simple as taxis, meals out and, of course, paying the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-murray/every-week-i-ll-be-spending-money-on-flights-accommodation-stringing/) [Andy Murray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-murray/) [Browse all 107 Accommodations quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accommodations/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There is no question but that nominally religious scientists like Francis Collins and Kenneth R. 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