Science and Religion Blog

After finishing Where Science Meets God, I found there was a lot more to say about the subject.  So, I created this blog for an on-going discussion.  I will try to keep entries readable, to the point, and interesting.  

Francis Collins and BioLogos

One of the books that most inspired me to expand my science and religion studies was The Language of God by Francis S. Collins.  In the world of science, Dr. Collins is a rock star.  He directed the Human Genome project and is presently the director of the National Institute of Health.  In his personal life, Dr. Collins was once an atheist whose genetic studies convinced him that there had to be a Creator behind the creation.  His search led him to Christianity and he has written several books about science and religion.  The Language of God was so popular that Dr. Collins established the BioLogos Foundation to manage communicating his doctrine of science and religion. 

Theories that grow up to be Truths

I have a good LDS friend named Rich who has his doctorate and a successful career in the sciences.  In the course of his career, Rich has worked both in the medical field and astronomy.  But religiously speaking, Rich is a fundamentalist.  In our discussions about science and religion, Rich makes the point that the development of scientific theories never really stops.  Thus, he believes, we should not try to conclude too much from the findings of science.  Since the finer points of any theory are always being adjusted, Rich proposes that they are never truths.  Since they are never truths, adjusting our religious beliefs to accommodate scientific findings is unnecessary.  Rich used the example of how Isaac Newton’s theories and equations for planetary motion were changed by Einstein’s equations linking gravity, speed and time. 

Definitions - Deist, Theist, or Creationist?

If mentioning to a friend that you are reading books about science and religion, he may ask if you are a Deist, a Theist of a Creationist.  Though I don’t like labels, it is sometimes helpful to know the general meaning of contended words. 

Church Doctrine Regarding Church Doctrine

Whether a lifetime member of the church or a vehement on-line critic, I have found that people are rarely hesitant to use the words, “According to church doctrine…”.  Generally we let this pass, but generally, the following words in the above sentence are non-doctrinal too.  So maybe it’s time to say something.