Francis Collins Interview Part 1

[Tonyzzz7]

Brilliant. Thank you

[gtjhuang]

Being a good scientist and be religious has to be compartmentalized. And it can co-exist. Being religious is delusional but it will not prevent one to be a good scientist. The problem is using the title as a scientist to sell religion is wrong.

A serial killer is ill-minded, but most of them are smart. It takes intelligence to kill someone without being caught easily. But the smart killer cannot say that killing is right only because he/she is smart that we need to listen to smart people.

[knowwaie]

Francis Collins is a liar. Either he doesn't really beleive evolution, and is worried about a bad reputation. Or he isn't really a Christian, who would use the same logic on the evolution theory as he did for Christ's deity. If the latter is true then he's not only a liar but a coward.

[ivlfounder]

@knowwaie

You've got a serious ego problem you know that?

[knowwaie]

@ivlfounder I actually miss wrote that comment, so my ego has been slightly curbed. I meant to say "if the former is true".

Am i wrong though? I know i have an ego but it's because i'm right most of the time. Why not embrace it? It's also not a problem when you know what humility is.

[ivlfounder]

@knowwaie

You haven't been inside Collins head thus you have to have a shockingly large ego to declare he isn't a Christian.

[knowwaie]

I'm sure he thinks he's a Christian, but when he begins taking Christianity seriously he'll encounter difficulties with explaining why Jesus quotes the creation in Genesis as a literal event.

It's not difficult to 'see inside someone's head'. It's called implicit reasoning. In my original comment I'd given two possibilities i've assimilated from the available information, though there is necessary information withheld so i'm unable to conclude definitively which one is true.

[ivlfounder]

@knowwaie

If Collins truely believes he is a Christian than the matter is between him and God.

[knowwaie]

That's true, i can't argue with that, in fact i've said that Richard Dawkins is actually a Christian 'in that sense'. But i'm talking about his doctrine. In other words Francis Collins is not a teacher and Christians should not take anything he says seriously. I'm sure God doesn't ignore him, but he doesn't not understand the God he's talking about. Richard Dawkins understands christian theology better than this guy does, lets put it that way.

[ivlfounder]

I wouldn't confuse Collins calling himself a Christian with Dawkins calling himself a CULTURAL Christian.

[knowwaie]

I meant it in the same way. I think Dawkins is a closet Christian.

I'm not attacking Collins. If you read my first comment carefully i'm actually assuming the former, i.e. that he does agree with christian theology, and is only preserving his reputation since it's not popular to deny evolution. My original thought was that Collins is a true believer and is only defending evolution because he would never be heard otherwise. And i'd call him a coward for that.

[ivlfounder]

@knowwaie

I have a feeling you've written something brilliant.

needless to say I'm waiting till morning to respond.

[jshjamaarify]

@knowwaie It's pretty obvious that Dawkins is a closet Christian after watching his interview with the preacher of the Church of England.

[supersmash43]

At least he's honest about his beliefs. I respect this man a lot even I am an atheistic/agnostic. I just can't believe in anything that falls outside of reality. 

[filiecs3]

Finally, an open minded person. If people listened to him there would be a lot less arguing between Christians and Evolutionists. Unfortunately, some people will still be as thick-headed as ever. He is trying to say that evolution is possible but it's just the origins of life he disagrees on. This is logical because there is no proven explanation for the origin of life. He believes in god because he views it as the more likely possibility and so he gave god his full support.

[freakiest420]

Believers in GOD are less confident than atheist in their position. Because deep down they all know there is something wrong.

By the way How do you know that Christianity is right?

All religions are nonsense. How you choose between nonsenses?

How do you expect to be rewarded by a JUST GOD to believe in nonsense?

[MeOverThinker]

@freakiest420 Choosing a religion is simple, it is like choosing who to vote for, which ever side tells me the best lies.

[GodExistsEternally]

@MeOverThinker

Why I believe The Bible is the inspired Word of God:

What are your most embarrassing moments? You don’t want to admit them. And if you do admit them, you certainly won’t add to your shame by inventing embarrassing moments about yourself to make you look even worse. Who’s going to lie to make himself look bad? People will lie to make themselves look good (especially politicians), but no one will lie to make himself look bad.

The hero doesn't usually die at the end, Jesus did.

[JesusVencera]

This man is as heretic as Dawnkins!

Christian believers should be awre of lies under he's "faith"!

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

Can I have some of whatever you're smoking?

[freeeekyyy]

How is he a heretic? The sole determining factor of being a genuine Chrsitian is putting your faith and love in Jesus Christ. This man has. Are you sure your faith doesn't need a second look?

[fctchk]

Collins is useful as a trojan horse to sneak evolution into the rabid religious camp.

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

Collins is not a trojan horse he is a highly respected scientist and an out spoken Christian and the sooner faith haters like yourself can wrap your mind around this the better.

[fctchk]

Oh how aggrieved the bible (t)humpers over at the Templeton Foundation must feel to see their most valuable player be a devout believer of the heretical, blasphemous and satanic theory of evolution.

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

Oh how aggravated worthless shitbag faith haters must feel to see a devout believer and world class scientifist continue to gain respect and notability.

FYI Supporters of evolution have won the Templeton Prize though Collins never has.

[fctchk]

Breathtaking how the high-priests of the Templeton temple tried to distance themselves, like from a fart in an elevator, from intelligent design, after the Wall Street Journal busted them supporting "ID scholars" -their (Templeton's) term not mine.

Meanwhile, the ID cretins ought be given credit for being true Christians. To them what's in the Bible is true. Period. When challenged they don't break out in an apologetics tap dance hiding behind a smoke screen of theology a la Collins.

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

It drives you mad to know he's going to be head of the NIH for years doesn't it?

[fctchk]

Au contraire. Quite delighted actually because it is shining the spotlight on an issue that has been lurking in the shadows far too long -the notion (untenably maintained by him loudly and publicly -thank you Mr.Collins) that (his -others not so much) faith somehow has to be given automatic immunity from the rigours of reason.

Of course the fact that he's a nice chap has the general (generally dim) public reacting against the attacks he is receiving without any understanding of the issue.

[CHARESTHEHAMER]

There are a lot of words in there, we're naught but humble pirates. What is it that you're saying?

[InDefenseofChrist]

everyone has faith in something, period.

[IsThisEvenEdible]

I'm just curious- what, in your opinion is the difference between believing in the easter bunny and believing in gods?

[InDefenseofChrist]

The easter bunny did not manifest himself as a man and die for mankind's sin. God did.

[IsThisEvenEdible]

I didn't ask what the difference between them is.

What's the difference between believing in the easter bunny and believing in gods?

[InDefenseofChrist]

I just told you, I dont know how else to say it

[IsThisEvenEdible]

well if you find a way to address the actual question, message me.

[InDefenseofChrist]

haha nice try...

[IsThisEvenEdible]

I'm not sure what you mean by "haha nice try", but again, if you want to address the question I asked you, I'm all ears.

[DanieruShidebuteru]

@IsThisEvenEdible

Isn't this where revelation came in?? If Easter Bunny "revealed" himself to me then I would know about him. He didn't, God did. In world religions, these would be through prophets, whose teachings became Holy Books, etc. In Christianity, it went even further. It was God himself who showed up, revealing Himself through his own life on Earth.

[DanieruShidebuteru]

@IsThisEvenEdible

The advent of Science as we know today is another form of reaching God through another medium of revelation, that of His creations; the famous "Thinking God's thoughts" as Kepler put it very succinctly, arguing that God's creation would reflect His personality, will, etc. Without the Judeo-Christian value of God as the Creator and His creation as reflecting His divine Order, western science wouldn't take form.

[DanieruShidebuteru]

@InDefenseofChrist

Help me out here. What do you think of my opinion to IsThisEvenEdible's comment??

[InDefenseofChrist]

Good comment danieru. The God of bible is different because He has revealed himself through prophecy. The easter bunny argument is a weak one philosophically.

[SmalltimR]

The Easter Bunny does not bring with it any observability evidence from which to draw credibility. However the God of the Christian bible does(answers to big questions, prophetic information, sighting and experience etc etc).

[Mik3Easter]

It really depends on what your view of God is like.

[Mik3Easter]

If only more Christians would pay attention to guys like him and Ken Miller, y'all might avoid the ridicule that gets heaped on you for believing in Intelligent Design or young-earth creationism.

[TheIrrationalAtheist]

Well, the YEC view is the minority viewpoint. Roughly 65% of all Christians accept evolution without a problem. Catholic, making up a good 50%, and 11,000 clergy from literally every single denomination.

There is no conflict between God and science.

[DeltaAtheism]

"the YEC view is the minority viewpoint."

According to a Gallup poll, 56% of Americans are YECs.

[TheIrrationalAtheist]

Over 11,000 clergy from virtually every Christian demonination disagree.

[DeltaAtheism]

"Over 11,000 clergy from virtually every Christian demonination disagree. "

Disagree with the poll or with YEC ideas?

[TheIrrationalAtheist]

YEC ideas, it's over 65% now don't have a problem w/ accepting evolution