ShareThisBy BETSY HART
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
"God Vs. Science _ a spirited debate between atheist biologist Richard Dawkins and Christian geneticist Francis Collins" blared the cover of Time magazine this week.
What a fitting discussion as we are now (sigh) firmly in the lead-up to Christmas.
And what a revealing conversation.
In one corner was Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins, open atheist and author of the current best seller, "The God Delusion" (Houghton Mifflin).
In the other corner was Francis Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, a professing Christian who converted from atheism in his 20s and author of the best seller, "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief" (Free Press).
Look, I am not suggesting that every Christian I know is as intrigued as I am at discoveries about the physical world, the behavioral sciences or, well, the revelation that red wine might be good for you. I'm a bit of a nerd and I typically devour the science sections of newspapers.
But I've never met a Christian who, for instance, says DNA doesn't exist, or even that it doesn't matter that it exists.
Okay, there may be a few folks who genuinely believe the world is only 6,000 years old. True, I think some Christians fear some aspects of scientific inquiry a little too much. Far more commonly, there are those of us who have real moral concerns about some scientific quests, like cloning or fetal stem-cell research. But for the most part we cheer the scientists who announce the latest cancer breakthrough as much as we marvel at their discovery of a new planet. And Christians intelligently participate on all sides of the scientific debates of the day, like environmental issues.
In other words, we are the first to say God and science are, well, wonderfully compatible. That's why we can cogently argue, for instance, for the theory of Intelligent Design.
In contrast, there seems to be a move among many scientists to convince people they must believe in science (ital) or (end ital) God. Time lists a host of recent best-selling books that preach essentially that, including "The End of Faith" and "Letter to a Christian Nation" by emerging neuroscientist Sam Harris, a new book coming out by physicist-astronomer Victor Stenger, "God: The Failed Hypothesis," and a raft of others.
This seemed to be the crux of the debate between scholars Dawkins and Collins, which took place at the Time offices. Collins, like so many Christians, is convinced that God Himself creates and organizes the sciences. Dawkins and his colleagues appear bent on excluding God from the sciences.
So, who is the open minded one?
It's true that there either is or is not a God regardless of what anyone "feels" about it. But one gets the impression that the intensifying bum's rush to push God out the scientific door, as Time basically described it this week, is less about a truth quest and more about, well, an ego quest.
Dawkins says, "I don't see ... Jesus coming down and dying on a cross as worthy of that grandeur ... If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed."
I want to both scold Dawkins for daring to define how God must act _ and at the same time agree with him!
Interestingly, Christianity is the only world religion to rest on a historical event. Meaning if the Resurrection didn't physically take place, the religion is meaningless. That seems a risky proposition for folks who are making something up. But what is really "incomprehensible" is this: every other religion that's ever existed in the history of the world has essentially taught that man can get right with God on his own by doing good enough "works." Christianity is unique in teaching that man is sinful and can never get to God on his own, but instead needs a Savior to be right with God.
Now Dr. Dawkins _ I don't know a lot about science, but I know a little something about human nature, and I just don't think (ital) that's (end ital) something naturally prideful man would have invented. In other words, you are absolutely right on this one _ no mere theologian would have come up with it.
Merry Christmas.
(Betsy Hart is the author of the forthcoming "It Takes a Parent: How the Culture of Pushover Parenting is Hurting Our Kids -- and What to Do About It." E-mail her at letterstohart(at)comcast.net.)
