Monday 6 September 2010

Science And Religion – Some Quotes

dawkins

Richard Dawkins says “The theory of evolution by cumulative natural selection is the only theory we know of that is in principle capable of explaining the existence of organized complexity” and also “Science is interesting, and if you don't agree you can f*** off.”

stephenhawking

Stephen Hawking says "Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."

ABC

The Archbishop of Canterbury says “Belief in God is not about plugging a gap in explaining how one thing relates to another within the Universe. It is the belief that there is an intelligent, living agent on whose activity everything ultimately depends for its existence. Physics on its own will not settle the question of why there is something rather than nothing.”

chief rabbi

Dr Jonathan Sacks says “There is more to wisdom than science. It cannot tell us why we are here or how we should live”

Right now, I am with ABC and JS – and finding the attitudes of RD and SH very irritating. I could hardly cook the tea the other night for shouting “Piffle!” at Radio 4 [which amuses Bob greatly “they can’t actually hear you” he says patiently]

Please don’t think that this simple minded Essex girl is dismissing as intellectual claptrap the words of all the men with the brilliant scientific minds who studied physics at Oxford [after all I did marry such a man!] but when I am marvelling in the beauty of a rainbow, or the glory of a sunset, I am also enjoying a real relationship with The One who created it. Dawkins and Hawking may think I am deluded – but they can’t take that inner peace away from me

sunset

John’s Gospel Chapter One says…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Maybe SH doesn’t believe he needs God to set the universe going – but I [and millions of others throughout history] believe I need God to keep me going

10 comments:

  1. I wrote a little about this yesterday on my blog. I have a great urge to bop RD on the nose...not sure why! [ahem] :) I think it's because he will not engage respectfully but just calls everyone 'silly' who disagrees with him. But I suppose if he has no moral compass he has no reason to be respectful.

    I need God to keep me going too. It makes me stronger in my daily life.

    Are you working at school this week? We're back this week. *enormous sigh* I love the holidays.

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  2. I thought Jonathan Sacks' article in the Times last week was very good. I also liked this article, because it's silly! http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-%26-technology/creation-did-not-involve-chocolate%2c-claims-hawking-201009023057/

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  3. Very true. I totally ignore RD, although I have a lot more time for SH (and I'm married to a BIOLOGIST who finds RD very annoying indeed, so there we go!) But I also find this bizarre notion that there must be a war between science and faith very upsetting. At a Sunday School planning meeting this weekend I heard the phrase 'creation versus evolution' and I did ask: 'why VERSUS'? What is this 'choose one or the other' idea? The church can be rather bad about saying we must 'choose God OR science'. Why 'or'? Why not 'and'? God is not an intellictual discipline and science is not God. It's not an either/or. I'm sure your physiscist is not part of that problem...

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  4. Are you excited and scared by all the Christian discussion on Radio 4 and the rest at the minute- pre-papal party? I am. Still storing it up and thinking thereon. Glad to have you one step ahead of me, or indeed many steps ahead!

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  5. Very thought provoking Angela. I'm with you!
    Blessings!

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  6. Well said - there is nothing scientific about the Big Bang theory, just another way for folks to avoid the reality of a Creator and a God who loves and cares for and provides for us. I sometimes wish I could be there when they face that reality, not by choice but By God!! I really enjoy your expressions of faith and your love of life and the world that God has given us. Blessings, Peg

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  7. Absolutely - funny RD was mentioned very eloquently by the pastor at a church I visited yesterday and his ideas very soundly argued against. I was enthralled to listen to this pastor say what I think with much more eloquence than I could ever muster - rather like your post in fact!

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  8. The thing that I, as a trained scientist and pastor, find most galling about Dawkins is his total lack of humility. His view is no more capable of being proved than any other faith - and atheism is a faith, no matter what its proponents might claim. I am sufficiently convinced by the claims of Jesus to have bet my life and the whole of eternity on them but I might - however ulikely it seems to me and to millions of others - be wrong. The very idea that he might be wrong appears not to have occurred to SD. Sadly, this same arrogant certainty, where there should be humble and honest faith, permeates too much of institutional Christianity.

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  9. "Because there is a law such as gravity...." Ok, so WHO put that law of gravity into place? Totally agree with your stand on this! It is interesting that God gave these people minds to think - yet He has blinded them to the truth of who HE really is. Everything will fall into place for them when God opens their eyes to see!

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