Francis Collins' nomination to the NIH questioned
The NYT Op-Ed piece by Sam Harris is here: http://bit.ly/3oeh2i
For those who aren't familiar with Dr. Francis Collins, he was the head of the US-government arm of the Human Genome Project (there was a private firm working on the project too). The HuGo Project attempted to map out the entire human genome, that sequence of letters that dictate the growth and development of our entire body. The project was completed in 2003, though partial results were unveiled during the administration of Bill Clinton. This guy, Dr. Collins, is a scientist's scientist. However, he also wrote a book in 2006 where he presented evidence for belief in God. He argues in "The Language of God" that there is a silent cluster (silent majority?) of scientists who continue to reject Darwinian assumptions that there is no God. He then presents several scientific evidence he believes points to the existence of a Supreme Being, a Creator, a God. He also narrated his own journey from being a hardcore atheist, to his search for God, and his conversion. I read his book a year or two ago and I absolutely loved it. His arguments may not be mainstream Christian but in the face of solid scientific evidence, these are definitely worth serious consideration. I am at present still sorting out my own thoughts on this. But Dr. Collins is, without a doubt, a born-again believer.
I am frankly appalled and disappointed that his nomination as head of the National Institutes of Health is being questioned by Mr. Harris, and possibly by the atheistic scientists. He writes from the perspective of a secularist scientist (which I'm sure he's proud of) and as Dr. Collins argues, not every scientist is that way. It is only the noise created by the atheists like Richard Dawkins that gives the world the impression that all scientists are godless people. But historically, there are many scientists who profess to believe in God. Even Einstein did, albeit an impersonal God who didn't meddle in the affairs of man. Dr. Collins' scientific accomplishments must speak for itself. I don't know a lot of American scientists but I believe President Obama couldn't have made a better choice in Dr. Collins. To me, he represents a balance, a middle ground. Nowhere is it written that the head of the NIH must be an avowed atheist.
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