Science and Religion
When I/we picked up the February 2007 National Geographic magazine that had been put in the growing “to read” pile the previous week, almost immediately an interview titled “Francis Collins The Scientist as Believer” rang inner bells, just when I had been wondering where “we” would go next. This seemed to be it: another new chapter, one about science and religion. Opening those two areas up would also connect with some of the materials in one of our three baskets that were available to be potentially explored, and with some other books already read. So, this brought forth yet another strand in the immediate present from which to choose. I was noting that as a culturally-programmed spirit-person from earlier times in my life, I was still more methodical and linear-processing than my body organism is. And, I’m truly appreciative of what I think of as its vaster wisdom.
The lead-in to the February 2007 National Geographic interview with Francis Collins starts off by describing the often strained and combative relationship between science and religion, where some scientists view religion as a relic of our superstitious, pre-scientific past that humanity should abandon. Then there is Francis Collins—who led the Human Genome Project and is among the world’s most important scientists—personally blending science and religion.
In other materials, I had previously read about Collins heading a 2,400-scientist, multination project to map all 3.1 billion biochemical letters that constitute the human blueprint. Furthermore, he is a medical doctor.
In his best-selling book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, Collins recounts how he accepted Christ as his savior in 1978 and has been a devout Christian ever since, believing the God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. In 2006, in relation with his book, I heard him interviewed on Diane Rehm’s NPR program. This was at a time I was being impacted with reading about other mainstream cultural members who are also talking about personally integrating scientific and religious/spiritual perspectives within their worldviews. In a November 2006 Time magazine report I read Collins stating that studying the natural world is an opportunity to observe the majesty, the elegance, the intricacy of God’s creation.
Some Western scientists are saying that science and religion ask different questions and are in different domains, that science is inadequate to understand the wonders of existence. There is a point of view that believes science and the scientific method address the natural world objectively, and evolution describes the biological natural selection processes that have taken place historically on Earth for millions of years. From that perspective, religions and spirituality address the subjective domain of meaning and purpose, and the Bible can be seen as a spiritual history describing what a group of people knew and what they thought at the time it was written.
My viewpoint is that science overall and the scientific method are very valuable belief structures that have been and are being energized in our objective world-of-today. I’m impressed with the scientific dating methods that have been and are being used with fossil records to provide information about the age of the Earth and what species were present at various times. Moreover, I feel a kinship with scientists who are also seeking to understand “how it all works,” and are in exploratory processes.
Continuing with my current perspective, along with objectivity there are also personal internal processes, subjective focuses and experiences that can’t really be scientifically tested and replicated using the scientific method. I think both the objective and subjective can be seen as important and complementary, if one chooses to view them that way.
Moreover, I think many scientists who have discounted God, have done so because the specific God or God choices that were culturally agreed upon and available in their time and place, weren’t viable choices for them personally.
Returning to the February 2007 National Geographic interview with Francis Collins that had been the impetus for this chapter, I especially liked his response about prayer, which for him is more of a sense of trying to get into fellowship with God and what he-Collins should be doing, rather than telling God what God should be doing. When I pray, I very carefully select what my focuses will be, with most of my daily prayer/meditation time spent listening and using other inner senses. Collins also stressed human free will, and so do I!
Collins talked about how people who come with the presumption that we humans are spiritual creatures, will then see someone’s temporal lobe light up when having a mystical experience as a natural correlate; whereas those who presume there is nothing outside the natural world, will see the data differently. I think his viewpoint is similar to mine regarding interpretations and translations depending upon the belief structures and orientations of individual observers.
The National Geographic interview concludes with Collins stating his perspective that our greatest and most distressing experience here on this planet is humans doing bad things to each other, which will make us long the most for something more. My response is, because I believe at a deeper level of our beings we are all One amidst a labyrinth of connections, it follows that things can go much smoother and easier when we treat ourselves and others with respect, kindness, and goodwill.
Personally connecting with Collins’ Christian faith, from about age eight or nine when I began to seriously read and study the Bible directly, I have made Jesus’ words and teachings significant, seeking to Understand what Jesus originally said and what he meant. Certainly Jesus’ messages of Love, God’s universal Love, and “life” after this life have had a strong impact and influence on many of us!
Believers of many faiths say they sense the existence of a higher power far beyond us, a spiritual reality that transcends physical reality, that doesn’t have to make scientific sense.
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