ROCKVILLE, Maryland (CNN) — I am a scientist and a believer, and I find no conflict between those world views.As the director of the Human Genome Project, I have led a consortium of scientists to read out the 3.1 billion letters of the human genome, our own DNA instruction book. As a believer, I see DNA, the information molecule of all living things, as God’s language, and the elegance and complexity of our own bodies and the rest of nature as a reflection of God’s plan. I did not always embrace these perspectives. As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked “What do you believe, doctor?”, I began searching for answers. I had to admit that the science I loved so much was powerless to answer questions such as “What is the meaning of life?” “Why am I here?” “Why does mathematics work, anyway?” “If the universe had a beginning, who created it?” “Why are the physical constants in the universe so finely tuned to allow the possibility of complex life forms?” “Why do humans have a moral sense?” “What happens after we die?” (Watch Francis Collins discuss how he came to believe in God )I had always assumed that faith was based on purely emotional and irrational arguments, and was astounded to discover, initially in the writings of the Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis and subsequently from many other sources, that one could build a very strong case for the plausibility of the existence of God on purely rational grounds. My earlier atheist’s assertion that “I know there is no God” emerged as the least defensible. As the British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked, “Atheism is the most daring of all dogmas, for it is the assertion of a universal negative.”But reason alone cannot prove the existence of God. Faith is reason plus revelation, and the revelation part requires one to think with the spirit as well as with the mind. You have to hear the music, not just read the notes on the page. Ultimately, a leap of faith is required.
And that’s when my head exploded, your honor.It amazes me when smart people believe stupid things. Atheism is “daring”, because it “asserts a universal negative”, but there is nothing daring about saying Santa Claus or Zeus definitely doesn’t exist. He admits reason “alone” can’t prove god exists — although I’d say that reason has to be discounted entirely in order to believe something exists that breaks all laws of physics. Too bad some scientists are so desperate to avoid thinking about their own mortality that they suspend their own intellect.You can be smart without being reality-inclined — and here’s a prime example.
RedLilac
Don’t feed the troll.
shorebird-
It’s practically a tradition here that sooner or later every person that posts more than a couple of times will end up addressing that troll.
That or talk about him in the third person. He lies, never responds to the points people make, pretends to have no doubts, rudely distorts and quotemines and can frequently be observed projecting the failings of the religious on those who criticize them. He isn’t a very attractive example of those finer qualities claimed by the religious for themselves.
He definitely is an asset if you measure the value of the blog by the number of comments generated. Not so much, though if it is quality and mutual respect you appreciate.
RedLilac
Most of his routine has nothing to do with atheism or religion. His main complaint is that atheists are liberal and he considers this board an arm of the DNC or the communist party . He would be happier on a ACLU blog. Thats what the republicans get for their massive atheist outreach program.
Comment from: phreedm
Dave…so when are you going to “recover”?
How is it that as an adult you still hold on to your childhood beliefs?
At least Dr. Collins has lived his adult life with an open mind to all possibilities…have you?
As I’ve always said…the only way to be an atheist is to have a closed mind…
Why do atheists find it impossible to ever take a leap of faith?
Are you going to claim that there is no such thing as faith?
I didn’t think anyone could back up their claims…just merely parroting everything they’ve ever heard…
This thread is going to be one for the record books…
phreakshow…so when are you going to “recover”?
How is it that as an adult you still hold on to your childhood beliefs?
At least the atheists have lived their adult life with an open mind to all possibilities…have you?
As I’ve always said…the only way to be a person of faith is to have a closed mind…
Why do the religiously fervent find it impossible to ever rationally examine their religious beliefs?
Are you going to claim that there is no such thing as evolution?
I didn’t think anyone could back up their claims…just merely parroting everything they’ve ever heard…
This thread is going to be one for the record books…
In a different time and place there is no telling what Mr. Collins would have become. He is obviously a very intelligent guy but so was Josef Mengele, the Angel of Death at Auschwitz. At no point am I implying Mr. Collins is not a good man. Up front this will sound like a twisted parallel but I’ll weave it together.
Josef Mengele was raised a Catholic, schooled in medicine then philosophy. He later studied anthropology and paleontology as his interest in medicine fell by the wayside. The volatile politics in Nazi Germany led him into eugenics, the study of the secrets of genetics that lead to human deformities. Like many prominent German academics and medical professionals he was persuing the theory of unworthy life.
The intent was to eliminate inferior gene strands in an attempt to create a Germanic super race. His specialty was experimenting with twins at Auschwitz. He placed twins in special quarters where they recieved more food and better living conditions and were not subjected to beatings. He loved those twins to death. They were his specimens that advanced his career.
The after the fact look at his psychology led to the conclusion, with his religious upbringing, ethics of medicine and search for truth via philosophy, that he was an example of “doubling”, a dual personality.
As he stood seperating Jews on the platform at Auschwitz he dressed in his finely pressed uniform with white cotton dress gloves and often whistled Wagner tunes. He had a pleasant demeaner as he acted out his role of sophisticated monster. He was playing god.
Now, was he really much different from all the Christians who wander thru their petty lives today daydreaming about their trip to heaven as corporate America spreads depleted uranium and white phosphorus in Iraq? Those Christians harp on the love of Jesus for humanity as the war criminals in DC plan the invasion of Iran, or Korea, or no telling where.
The all loving god who told GW to bomb Baghdad is whispering in the ears of the sleepwalking masses as they roll down the highway in their SUVs complaining about the high price of gas. You have to wonder how many of our neighbors would be willing to nuke Iran just to bring down the price of gas so they could buy a bigger vehicle to drive to work so they can earn enough money to make payments on their shiney new vehicles.
All the phoney Christians are concerned about themselves as they say “God Bless America”. To hell with the rest of the world filled with unworthy life. Much of American society exemplifies “doubling”. Christians accept war as a solution to failed foreign policy but are willing to raise a ruckus in front of an abortion clinic.
Josef Mengele managed to slip out of Germany in 1949 and lived out his life in relative luxury in South America. He died in 1979 from accidental drowning. I wonder if Jerry Falwell shook his hand in heaven?
There is no god, there never was a god and there never will be a god except within peoples minds. I know cause the Bible tells me so.