Francis Collins on The Language of God

Dr Francis Collins talks to Denis Alexander about his book 'The Language of God'. See more at http://www.st-edmunds.cam.ac.uk/faraday/Multimedia.php

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• God
• science
• biology
• christianity
• theology
• creation
• religion
• Bible
• Denis
• Alexander
• Francis
• Collins
• The
• Language
• of
• human
• genome
• faraday
• institute

[Fike2308]

Some atheists mistakenly assume that the terms 'atheist' and 'scientist' are synonymous.

[Brightstar27]

I like listening to these types of conversations very much. =)

[Drgamedood]

@SamdeSquirell I'm an atheist, but I love to read books written by theists as well. :)

[SamdeSquirell]

@Drgamedood If I could take back my previous comment I would. After reading the whole book I realised it was more of a reconciliation than an argument. He does briefly give some reasons why belief in god is rational near the beginning, and this gave me a skewed impression. I would be lying if I said it wasn't a good book, and I intently recommend it for all creationists who struggle to grasp religion and science at once, but you'll struggle to find an atheist who accepts the conclusions of it.

[Drgamedood]

@SamdeSquirell The book wasn't really his "evidence for god" treatise. Rather, it was an attempt to completely reconcile modern science with the christian faith. Collins accepts the big bang, abiogenesis, and evolution as all a part of "God's plan".

[WrknClssHero]

@gtjhuang If you dont mind me asking, have you actually read his book?

[LettuceReason]

amazing the fear typed out below by so many.

"being religious is delusional"

"biblical quotes which are a big no no for me"

"no concise argument, just emotinal appealing" so many dont seem to get the idea that science cannot explain God. They fear to look into themselves, they fear emotion, they fear what they cannot understand through text books.

[jasonfkg]

Whatever you believe about his religion, he is amazing in biology. He represents Christians in a field where atheism is growing. As long as Christianity can produce scientists like him, they will continue to be respected by normal scientists.

[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.

[Plasmon19]

I'd trust him with matters of biology but would not consult with him on cosmology or theoretical physics.