Note: This is a continuation of sorts of last week’s blog, Writing in the Sciences. It’s in a different piece because I’m not sure how much of it will/ will not fit. But in order to understand the full context of this piece, it’s essential to read my previous piece. 

I consider myself to be a staunch Christian. I love to hunt, fish, hike, go off-roading, etc. I inherited a pretty thick midwestern accent from my dad. I like wearing jeans, cowboy boots, and camo hoodies. I listen to country and bluegrass music (think: Hank Williams Jr. and Greensky Bluegrass). I’m not exactly “politically correct” or “overly sensitive”. Overall, I don’t blame people for assuming I’m a faith-and-flag Conservative. 

Truth is, I’m not. 

I consider myself to be left-of-center politically (compared to American standards, that is. Compared to European/Canadian standards, I may be right-of-center). I’m a university student studying BioTech. I’m very against the Trump Administration’s “war” on universities and scientific research. I’m equally against ideologies such as Young Earth Creationism- which is the belief that God created the world 6,000 years ago, and things have hardly changed since- and Legalism- which is the (primarily Christian) belief that if you don’t follow all of the rules of Scripture, the grace of God won’t save you from the fires of hell. 

And, I think there’s a very strong overlap between faith-and-flag conservatives, Young Earth Creationists, and Legalists. 

What does this have to do with anything?

The more  I research the failures of scientific communication, the more I realize that effective science communication takes into account one’s cultural and religious beliefs. Perhaps, that’s a “duh” statement. But, for some reason, most scientists and science communicators seem to forget about the fact that people are very prone to falling for in-group-out-group bias, AKA tribalism. Since most scientists and scientific communicators fall into the “out-group” more often than not, it’s no wonder that their words fall on deaf ears. 

What do I mean by this?

Well… according to a 2009 Pew Research Study, 83% of the general public believed in God at the time, while only 41% of scientists believed in God. In 2016, a ResearchGate study found that 67% of the general public believed in God, while only 30% of scientists believed in God. The chasm grows wider when we compare the general public to scientists who study biology. In 2020, 75% of Americans identified as Christian, while only 25% of biologists identified as religious, period (religious includes Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, etc). 

See where I’m going with this?

Long story short, the more I wrestle with the failures of science communication, the more I find it to be a cultural issue, not a scientific issue. Culturally speaking, in America, people who are right-of-center on the political spectrum tend to be overwhelmingly Christian, and distrust scientists far more than people who are left-of-center. 

For me, this wasn’t a shocking revelation at all. However, I’ve been struggling with the apparent politicization of science, ever since. After all, I detest politics and politicians from all over the political spectrum. Politics in general make me want to puke (especially these days).

But, how can one talk about science without getting political? 

Well… considering how much power science has on politics- not just in the USA, but all over the world, and throughout all of history- I’ve come to the nauseating conclusion that there is no way to discuss science without getting political. 

In other words, science is political! 

Now that I’ve admitted that horrible truth, what do I do with it?

Frankly, I don't know. That’s a question ultimately for God, and is why my faith is imperative to me. 

I believe that God is always with me. He always has been, and He always will be.

I’ve seen Him work miracles in my life that literally nobody- not even my own specialist doctors, who are world-renowned in Pulmonology and Cardiology- could explain away naturally (AKA scientifically). I’ve experienced many “coincidences” that weren’t mere “coincidences”, such as specific people/organizations reaching out to me and my family at exactly the right moment. I mean… how else did I get Dr. Francis Collins’ written permission to enroll in the phage therapy study that saved my life? 

Stuff like that doesn’t just happen, at least in my eyes. 

As such, I don’t view my run-in with the Goldwater Institute as a “mere coincidence”, either. Instead, I see it as an opportunity- given to me by God, Himself- to reach the very people that the vast majority of scientists and scientific communicators have failed to engage. That’s why I’m taking these things so damn seriously. I don’t want to screw it up (which includes running away from the cameras out of fear). 

Of course, I’m still scared shitless. I still don’t know what the hell I’m doing. This isn’t something I outright asked for. In fact, this isn’t something I ever asked for, especially since I’m such a private person. But, nevertheless, it’s an opportunity that God’s giving me to reach out to people like my beloved conservative relatives, but on a much broader (and scarier) scale. 

How, then, do I do it?

Again, that’s where my faith comes in. I believe that God has been guiding my path ever since I was born. Even during my “angry atheist” phase of life (which I was still in when I enrolled in the phage therapy study), God was still there, watching over me, guiding me and my family through stormy, uncharted waters, for reasons I cannot even begin to explain. 

God didn’t let me die, even when every doctor and scientist who glanced in my direction was convinced I would. For that reason, I carry a great deal of survivor’s guilt. However, that same survivor’s guilt is what’s motivating me to stick my neck out there. 

To be continued….