On Sept. 16, Jews for a Secular Democracy held a virtual discussion titled “Confronting Religious Extremism in Medicine and Science: The First Amendment and the Fight for Facts!” This event, co-sponsored by the Tucson Jewish Museum & Holocaust Center and Or Adam Congregation, featured vaccine scientist Dr. Peter Hotez and biotech entrepreneur Dr. D.J. Kleinbaum, moderated by activist Alliyson Feldmann.
The conversation addressed vaccine misinformation and the harmful impacts of religious extremism on public health and democracy. Feldmann emphasized that knowledge and science must coexist with faith, highlighting how anti-science movements disproportionately affect marginalized communities.
Dr. Hotez shared his experiences as a vaccine scientist, detailing attacks he’s faced, including antisemitic conspiracy theories linking him to various nefarious plots because of his advocacy against misinformation. He recounted how political and media landscapes, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, fostered anti-science extremism, leading to unnecessary deaths.
Dr. Kleinbaum added that making decisions based on ideology rather than evidence could undermine democracy, emphasizing the importance of trust in scientific institutions and cautioning against the misleading narratives propagated by certain sectors.
Both speakers advocated for stronger science education and community advocacy as essential to protect truth and democracy against the challenges posed by religious extremism. They concluded that the fight for scientific integrity is intertwined with the fight for freedom.
