Nature Editorial Attacks Christianity of Francis Collins
| July 22, 2010 | Posted by scordova under Culture, Darwinism, Intellectual freedom |
Casey Luskin reports : Nature Immunology Editorial Botches American Law and Science Education
May, 2010 editorial in Nature Immunology makes it clear that they don’t trust religious persons–even those who are neo-Darwinian evolutionists like Francis Collins–in positions of scientific authority. The editorial (written by the journal’s editors) states:
The openly religious stance of the NIH director [Francis Collins] could have undesirable effects on science education in the United States. … In the introduction and in interviews surrounding [Collins'] book release, he describes his belief in a non-natural, non-measurable, improvable deity that created the universe and its laws with humans as the ultimate aim of its creation. Some might worry that describing scientists as workers toiling to understand the laws and intricacies of this divine creation will create opportunities for creationism adepts.
….
Strikingly, despite being a world leader in science, the United States still struggles when it comes to scientific education. Creationism is creeping back into the science curricula of public schools. And although intelligent design, the latest form of creationism, suffered a major defeat in the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial (Nat. Immunol. 7, 433–435, 2006), when the US Supreme Court ruled that including it in science curricula is unconstitutional, creationists are making a comeback.(“Of faith and reason,” Nature Immunology, Vol. 11(5):357 (May 2010).)
The real issue is not creationism (in my humble opinion). They just hate people of faith, period! Francis Collins is a Darwinist, he defends Darwinism. Francis Collins has a PhD in Physics and Chemistry. When I heard him speak at George Mason, he listed his PhD in “Quantum Mechanics” which accords with his biographies elsewhere that list him as follows:
He went on to attain a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at Yale University in 1974. While at Yale, however, a course in biochemistry sparked his interest in the molecules that hold the blueprint for life: DNA and RNA. Collins recognized that a revolution was on the horizon in molecular biology and genetics. After consulting with his old mentor from the University of Virginia, Carl Trindle, he changed fields and enrolled in medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning there an M.D. in 1977.
Collins has a PhD and MD, and he went on to head the human genome project. He’s 10 times more qualified than Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers, and Jerry Coyne to do the work he is doing. But that’s not enough because in the eyes of some Darwinists (like Sam Harris and Jerry Coyne), believing in God disqualifies someone from being a leader in science.
The one encouraging bit of news is it appears the Darwinists really don’t think Dover has stopped the advance of intelligent design or “creationism”.
Addendum:
It just occurred to me that the editorial may be encouraging illegal activity. In the US, it is considered a violation of civil rights to discriminate against people of faith with respect to employment. Especially in the case of Francis Collins, there are hardly few, if any, more qualified for his job.
53 Responses to Nature Editorial Attacks Christianity of Francis Collins
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“If the intellect is not involved in making a choice, how do you reckon that that choice could possibly be based upon reason and evidence?”
But TGPeeler stated that the intellect is involved. The willing is based on evidence.
Vivid
Hi molch. “Intellect, by its very definition, is the overall term describing properties of the mind such as reasoning and recognition/interpretation of evidence. If the intellect is not involved in making a choice, how do you reckon that that choice could possibly be based upon reason and evidence?”
There are two things going on here. First is the act of the intellect in evaluating evidence. Second is the act of the will, or choice, concerning the evidence.
For example, I walk up to a taxi and before I get in I take a look. Let’s say the driver is obviously impaired, the inside looks shabby, the body is a mess, scrapes, dents, etc… I evaluate this evidence and decide whether or not I want to get in the cab. There’s the mental act and the volitional act. They are two separate things
Or let’s say that one looks at the very existence of the universe, the fine tuning, the existence of earth, the fine tuning, the existence of many kinds of life, the exquisite design and beauty of that life, the existence of human life, consciousness, a moral law, laws of logic, mathematics, language, etc… and says “there is no God.” I’d refer that person to Psalm 14:1a.
Clive @ 30. I’ve read a fair amount of CS Lewis but not this. Thanks. When he makes the point that reason isn’t merely human reason I think of Exodus 3:14 (I AM sent you) where God revealed Himself to Moses as the personification, if you will, of the first principles of reason, being and identity. Part of the character of God is Reason. Not enough people remember that. Thanks again for the link.
p.s. Jesus says the same thing in John 8:58 “before Abraham was, I am.”
scordova@31
“Even if the designer is God, it is an invalid inference to say merely because something is designed that God necessarily did it.”
I agree that one can’t use the fact that something is designed to be a proof of God. If such were demonstrated then maybe it is supportive of or even weaker only in accordance with the theory that I accept that there is a God. However, as a Christian I am quite at liberty to say that God did something or allowed something to happen. God is sovereign over all. One case deals with proximate causes and the other with ultimate causes.
===
Generally I think this thread is a hopeful sign of at least some cooperation between ID and BioLogos or ASA. Ted Davis on the ASA a while back defended at least one scientist of the ID persuasion and I am glad to see this turn about.
Dave W
tgpeeler @ 36
“First is the act of the intellect in evaluating evidence….. I evaluate this evidence and decide whether or not I want to get in the cab.”
So, we both seem to agree that intellect needs to be involved in any decision making process? so far so good;
“Second is the act of the will, or choice, concerning the evidence…..There’s the mental act and the volitional act. They are two separate things”
So, on the one hand you state that the choice (volition act) is based on the evidence, but on the other hand you still assume that the choice is not a necessary consequence of the intellectual evaluation of the evidence. Which does make sense if you only consider the evidence immediately surveyed (e.g. the obviously impaired driver and the messy inside of the cab). By itself, this is not enough evidence to decide if it is a good idea to get into the cab. I need to put it in context with my repertoire of already accumulated evidence that impaired drivers are likely to cause accidents, etc. And I need to reconcile the recognition of all these factors with current circumstances. If I need a ride to the next hospital because I have a punctured artery, and if the cab in question is the only ride available, these two pieces of evidence will likely outweigh all the negative evidence in the final decision.
However, this means that the choice is a direct and necessary consequence of the evaluation of evidence, and that the will to make that choice is a combination of all the evidence evaluations (which are commonly described as motivations) that factor into that choice.
oh, and tgpeeler:
“I’d refer that person to Psalm 14:1a.”
thanks for clarifying that you are a religious segregationist who thinks that everybody whose world view does not include your god is “morally deficient, vile, corrupt and incapable of doing any good.”
I am surprised you even write to satanic monstrosities like me – don’t we belong in concentration camps?
Hey molch, I’m pretty much good with your post at 39 until you get to the last paragraph. People decided to ignore overwhelming evidence all the time. It’s not a new phenomena. See the end of the post for an illustration.
I’m not a religious segregationist since I am talking to you. That much should be obvious. As far as satanic monstrosities go, join the club. Hey man, if you read much of what I have to say you’ll realize that I bear no malice toward you or pretty much anyone, although I am unfortunately certainly capable of that. I am interested in discovering what is TRUE about the universe we live in. If I am correct in my deductions and inferences and God exists and Jesus is the Messiah then anyone who doesn’t believe that is certainly a fool. If I am wrong, then I am the fool. It’s a pretty easy system. So if I offended your sensibilities by pointing that out by means of Psalm 14:1a, then I apologize. Maybe then we can get back to arguing about what is actually true.
p.s. How’s this for an ancient response to overwhelming evidence???
Matt. 12:9 And departing from there, He went into their synagogue.
Matt. 12:10 And behold, there was a man with a withered hand. And they questioned Him, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” — in order that they might accuse Him.
Matt. 12:11 And He said to them, “What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out?
Matt. 12:12 “Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”
Matt. 12:13 Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand!” And he stretched it out, and it was restored to normal, like the other.
Matt. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out, and counseled together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
Doesn’t seem rational to me…
p.p.s. He’s not “my” God. That sounds suspiciously like post-modern BS. You know, what’s true for me is true for me and what’s true for you is true for you. There is one universe that we both live in and it’s a certain way. I am pretty sure that understanding how that way is serves my best interests. That’s the only reason I care.
molch,
You might want to take stock in 40 and 41 and ask yourself of the demonstrations of balance. You might conclude there is plenty of ill thought in all directions, some of it you’ve demonstrated here.
That being said, I am intersted to know: who where and when did someone suggest that you should be segregated for your beliefs, who where and when did someone call you a satanic monstrocity, and who where and when did someone seek to put you in a concentration camp?
Tgpeeler,
maybe you should make it a habit of looking a little more closely at the actual contents of what you cite as a testimony to your convictions, because the meaning of:
The fool* says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
*The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.
(cited from BibleGateway.com)
is quite clear, and quite contrary to your mild, apologetic representation at 41… You did not offend my sensibilities (I am a lot more robust than that), but your choice of testimony cast doubt on your interest to have any kind of sincere discussion with a non-Christian. But since this apparently was not your intention, I accept your genuine apology and look forward to continuing a respectful discussion.
“He’s not “my” God.”
He is your god in the sense that the Judeo-Christian god is the one you believe in – in contrast to the hundreds of other gods of millions of other people adhering to other religions or philosophies – and to the absence of deities in yet another set of religions and philosophies. That’s all I meant by the use of the expression “your god”, and I apologize for my part if you found that offensive.
On to the actual discussion on evidence and choice:
“Matt. 12:14 But the Pharisees went out, and counseled together against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.
Doesn’t seem rational to me…”
Really??? I think in this context we have a pretty good idea what the evidence was that motivated the Pharisees to “counsel together against Him, as how they might destroy him”: By actions like the one described Jesus was undermining the established political structure of a religious and legal system that the Pharisees held leadership over; they meant to stay in power, so this faith healer and his revolutionary ideas had to be stopped! A simple political move – despicable? Maybe – but nothing irrational about it…
Upright BiPed @ 42
you know, you’re not doing tgpeeler a favor by asking me to hand you a shovel so you can dig that hole deeper that you just jumped into after tg climbed out of it…
tgpeeler – continuing from 43:
Extrapolating from the two examples (the messy cab / Jesus & the Pharisees) we have been discussing, my point might become more clear:
You say:
“People decided to ignore overwhelming evidence all the time.”
I agree, because the evidence that is overwhelming from one person’s perspective is not overwhelming from another perspective, because the sets of evidence evaluations, or motivations, between the two persons are not the same. The person who is not overwhelmed by the presented evidence has evaluated OTHER evidence that in it’s turn overwhelms the first set of evidence in the path to decision making. Do you agree? If you don’t agree, then what do you suggest weighs into the decision to disregard one set of evidence, if it is not another set of evidence?
molch @ 43
I believe the original referral was to Psalm 14:a1 (the first phrase) was it not? In any case, I’m delighted that I did not irretrievably offend your sensibilities so that we may continue this conversation.
“That’s all I meant by the use of the expression “your god”, and I apologize for my part if you found that offensive.”
Not at all. I was merely pointing out the nuance that God is either God or He’s not, whether or not I believe in Him.
“A simple political move – despicable? Maybe – but nothing irrational about it…”
I see your point. I viewed it as irrational in that the man claiming to be the promised Messiah (God) performed a miracle right in front of them and their response was not worship or acceptance, even, but rather how to destroy Him. That’s what I meant by irrational.
tgpeeler
“I see your point. I viewed it as irrational in that the man claiming to be the promised Messiah (God) performed a miracle right in front of them and their response was not worship or acceptance, even, but rather how to destroy Him. That’s what I meant by irrational.”
I agree that from the viewpoint that only takes the performed miracle into account as evidence, it appears irrational to reject this evidence as sufficient for worship of the performer of the miracle and acceptance of him as the Messiah. But adding the evidence of political motivations of the Pharisees, and probably other components in their repertoire of evidence that for example might allow them to dismiss the miracle as a magic trick, makes their choice quite rational. You seem to agree with that.
So, bearing all this in mind, do you we agree on 45?
44
Tom is quite capable of taking care of himself, and I will be the last person you put in a theological hole. My question had to do with whether you earned the position you painted, or if you were just borrowing it for fun, again.
In any case, I don’t argue religious text on this forum, so I am happy to be silent.
They are saying that belief/conclusions about a existing God and the Christian faith etc are in fact not ideas for people in science and so most people in anything.
They are attacking religious belief. Simple.
they show the true motivations behind the jurisprudence that tries to say the original Yankee/Southern protestant people put in their constitution banns about teaching as true or options that God/Genesis in public schools.
Absurdity.
Its a failure of recent jurisprudence.
Creationism just needs lawyers and cases to take them on.
Upright, I am happy for you to defend me anytime!
molch – concerning 45, somewhat. I don’t have time tonight to post but I’ll ask a question if you don’t mind.
I would be interested in your fundamental epistemological commitments. That is, how do you determine what exists and what is true? Thanks.
Upright @ 48
I am quite aware what your question was about, and that Tom is capable of taking care of himself – but unless you insist in dragging the discussion back into the hole (which is an ethical one, not a theological one), you might just look at the first part of 43 to have that question answered. I consider the issue settled with tg’s apology.
“In any case, I don’t argue religious text on this forum, so I am happy to be silent.”
Sounds like everybody is happy and we can get back to business!
tgpeeler @ 50
“how do you determine what exists and what is true?”
that’s obviously a big and fundamental philosophical question – I’ll try my best to describe to you my current understanding:
The first part of the question – what exists – is a lot more straightforward. I determine it by experience. Experience in this context encompasses direct observation and it encompasses the accounts of other sources in combination with my judgement of the reliability of these sources based on previous observation, record and reputation.
On to the second part: what is true? Partially, the answer to that question is exactly the same as to the first part – I determine it by experience. However, the kind of thruth I can determine by that process is a subjective truth, and, I suspect, not the kind of truth you are talking about. You are probably talking about an absolute, or objective, truth. It is my opinion that an objective truth is not accessible to any subjective observer. And I am, by definition, a subjective observer.
I’ll illustrate that with an example: I look at a daffodil and find its blossom is yellow. Most humans would agree that it is true that daffodils have yellow blossoms (an interesting and important exception would be color-blind, color-deficient, ore entirely blind people). However, as biologists have discovered, from a bee’s perspective a daffodil is not just yellow – it has a complex arrangement of all sorts of colors. And from a bird’s perspective, that blossom again looks very different. We can represent the ways that bees and birds see a flower by translating our current interpretation of what they see into a spectrum of colors visible to humans and get a better understanding of their version of the truth. This helps us to get closer to a MORE objective truth about the color of daffodils. However, since we don’t actually see ultraviolet, our representation is just an approximation to the bees’ and birds’ true picture of a daffodil. On top of it, for every new subjective perspective we do discover and encompass in our description of the truth there is almost an infinity of perspectives that we are missing.
So, in my perspective, any being (or, per definition, subject) lives in a world of entirely subjective truths, which obviously mostly serve them well to successfully interpret and navigate the world. The closest thing to an objective truth would be the combination of all subjective truths from the perspective of all the subjective beings in existence.
tgpeeler?
Any comments?
45?
52?