# New Language for our Mission? Building Trust Between Scientists and the Public

**URL:** <https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221>\
**Category:** Conversation\
**Tags:** Communication\
**Created:** [February 17, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221 "2021-02-17T05:24:42Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:24am UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/1 "2021-02-17T05:24:42Z")

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> [@Our Mission and Values](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/our-mission-and-values/10208/1):
>
> ## Our Mission
> 
> _[Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/)_ ’s mission is to advance a civic practice of science…
> 
> …by seeking dialogue in discord and understanding across disagreements,  
> …by fostering interdisciplinary scholarship engaged with science and the public, and  
> …by encouraging conversation around the grand question: _what does it mean to be human?_

There is some revised and refined language we have been suggested. What do you think?

> Peaceful Science’s mission is to build trust between scientists and the [religious] public…

What do you think?

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**Author:** ![Patrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@Patrick](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/Patrick)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/2 "2021-02-17T15:18:44Z")

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The public being religious or not should be irrelevant to the PS mission.

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**Author:** ![stlyankeefan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/stlyankeefan/32/3773_2.png) [@stlyankeefan](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/stlyankeefan)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:18pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/3 "2021-02-17T15:18:48Z")

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What is the motivation for adding the world "religious? I’m not saying I agree or disagree, I’m just wondering what you are trying to accomplish with this change.

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:19pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/4 "2021-02-17T15:19:18Z")

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I was against using the word religious but another was for it.

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**Author:** ![RonSewell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/ronsewell/32/6194_2.png) [@RonSewell](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/RonSewell)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/5 "2021-02-17T15:30:31Z")

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> [@swamidass](#):
>
> > Peaceful Science’s mission is to build trust between scientists and the [religious] public…
> 
> What do you think?

Well to be nitpicky, as this is the succinct mission statement line, I see a couple of connotations which might be off in tone.

1. It sounds like there might be a faith dichotomy between scientists, who are not religious, and the religious portion of the public. But much discussion also happens between religious scientists and non religious scientists.

2. While there is a correlation, science skepticism which is not particularly rooted in religion is out there.

3. There is an ever so slight, but present, tinge of patronizing in “religious” as an adjective to public.

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:30pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/6 "2021-02-17T15:30:51Z")

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So just remove religious, right?

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**Author:** ![RonSewell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/ronsewell/32/6194_2.png) [@RonSewell](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/RonSewell)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:37pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/7 "2021-02-17T15:37:35Z")

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I think that is preferable.

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**Author:** ![T\_aquaticus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/t_aquaticus/32/1249_2.png) [@T\_aquaticus](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/T_aquaticus)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 3:42pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/8 "2021-02-17T15:42:03Z")

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Would it be worth including the intersection of science, culture, ethics, and morality?

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**Author:** ![Patrick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b2d939/32.png) [@Patrick](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/Patrick)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/9 "2021-02-17T17:58:35Z")

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That would be great.

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**Author:** ![thoughtful](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/thoughtful/32/9230_2.png) [@thoughtful](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/thoughtful)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/10 "2021-02-17T17:58:48Z")

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> [@swamidass](#):
>
> What do you think?

Just to be clear, is the suggestion completely replacing the first sentence?

> [@Patrick](#):
>
> The public being religious or not should be irrelevant to the PS mission.

Exactly.

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**Author:** ![davecarlson](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/davecarlson/32/2139_2.png) [@davecarlson](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/davecarlson)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/11 "2021-02-17T17:58:52Z")

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I see no reason to limit the science trust-building to only the religious public.

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**Author:** ![SlightlyOddGuy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/slightlyoddguy/32/11668_2.png) [@SlightlyOddGuy](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/SlightlyOddGuy)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 5:58pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/12 "2021-02-17T17:58:55Z")

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I agree with @RonSewell on his points, especially #3. Also, as someone who is neither a scientist nor currently religious, that language is exclusionary—which is fine if that’s what it is, I would just need to blink back some of these tears a little bit.

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:00pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/13 "2021-02-17T18:00:00Z")

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My preferred language was something like:

> Peaceful Science is building trust between scientists and the public, and in particular we’ve made surprising progress among the religious public.

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**Author:** ![swamidass](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/swamidass/32/3_2.png) [@swamidass](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/swamidass)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/14 "2021-02-17T18:01:56Z")

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We are not exclusionary. We are just trying to find the right language to capture the fact that we are making progress among the religious, and that is a special area of strength. We are doing that in a way that includes the non-religious, and some of the issues we will tackle are difficult for believers and non-believers a like.

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**Author:** ![RonSewell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/ronsewell/32/6194_2.png) [@RonSewell](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/RonSewell)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/15 "2021-02-17T18:31:11Z")

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> [@swamidass](#):
>
> My preferred language was something like:
> 
> > [Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/) is building trust between scientists and the public, and in particular we’ve made surprising progress among the religious public.

Other wordsmithing…

[Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/) is building trust between scientists and the public, particularly fostering dialog with people within communities of faith.

[Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/) is building trust between scientists and the public, exploring the issues at the intersection of science and faith.

[Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/) is building trust between scientists and the public, exploring the issues at the intersection of science, culture, ethics, morality, metaphysics, and faith.

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**Author:** ![stlyankeefan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/stlyankeefan/32/3773_2.png) [@stlyankeefan](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/stlyankeefan)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/16 "2021-02-17T18:31:18Z")

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> [@RonSewell](#):
>
> But much discussion also happens between religious scientists and non religious scientists.

That’s why I come here.

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**Author:** ![thoughtful](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/thoughtful/32/9230_2.png) [@thoughtful](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/thoughtful)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/17 "2021-02-17T18:31:41Z")

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Please no, unless you have data you are going to provide to back up the claim - especially since the last part of the sentence is not a mission statement; it’s a claim. The first example without “religious” is better. Your mission could be to make progress along the religious public, but I still don’t think the emphasis is necessary. It’s too much like what Biologos is doing then and it doesn’t fit the interviews you’re doing with scientists nor the general tone of many of your blog posts that have a general audience. I would like to see the Peaceful Science account follow science writers on Twitter and improve their reporting by making them aware of these interviews.

> [@SlightlyOddGuy](#):
>
> I agree with @RonSewell on his points, especially #3. Also, as someone who is neither a scientist nor currently religious, that language is exclusionary—which is fine if that’s what it is, I would just need to blink back some of these tears a little bit.

I was thinking of you when I read the suggestion - it’s not accurate to say “religious public.”

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**Author:** ![CrisprCAS9](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/crisprcas9/32/9145_2.png) [@CrisprCAS9](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/CrisprCAS9)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 7:13pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/18 "2021-02-17T19:13:17Z")

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> [@swamidass](#):
>
> > Peaceful Science’s mission is to build trust between scientists and the [religious] public…
> 
> What do you think?

And sometimes to build trust between the religious scientists and the non-religious public…

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**Author:** ![CrisprCAS9](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/crisprcas9/32/9145_2.png) [@CrisprCAS9](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/CrisprCAS9)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 8:09pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/19 "2021-02-17T20:09:02Z")

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> [@RonSewell](#):
>
> [Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/) is building trust between scientists and the public, particularly fostering dialog with people within communities of faith.

This one. The others suggest a limited scope, this one suggests an area of strength without commenting on the scope. Although perhaps with a one word edit to the second option…

> [Peaceful Science](http://peacefulscience.org/) is building trust between scientists and the public, particularly the issues at the intersection of science and faith.

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**Author:** ![thoughtful](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/discourse.peacefulscience.org/thoughtful/32/9230_2.png) [@thoughtful](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/u/thoughtful)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2021, 9:32pm UTC](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221/20 "2021-02-17T21:32:46Z")

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I like your ideas, but I think it might be less cumbersome to add the idea in the list below.

_Peaceful Science_ ’s mission is to build trust between scientists and the public…

…by seeking dialogue in discord and understanding across disagreements,  
…by fostering interdisciplinary scholarship engaged with science and the public,  
…by exploring issues at the intersection of science and faith, and  
…by encouraging conversation around the grand question: _what does it mean to be human?_

I’m not sure if that make the second point too repetitive?

the third point could also be something like.

…by [exploring issues] and [breaking new ground] at the intersection of science and faith

or instead of the words in either of the brackets

…advancing new ideas  
…increasing engagement

[Next page](https://discourse.peacefulscience.org/t/new-language-for-our-mission-building-trust-between-scientists-and-the-public/13221.md?page=2)