Religion and science. Are they at odds with each other?
As science explains more of the working of nature, does this dispel the beliefs around religions and the self confidence they give to millions of people?
Are scientists devoid of faith themselves?
I was at a men’s breakfast not so long ago. This is a meeting of men folk who attend the different Christian churches around the town. Promoting churches together and organising such events allows like minded people to experience the many viewpoints of the differing denominations within a friendly and informal forum. At these men’s breakfasts there is always a talk delivered by somebody who, with self confidence, offer some teachings of the benefits of their religion through their life’s experiences.
This particular talk was by a physicist entitled “An atheist who found religion”. He explained that in his early years as a scientist he was so enveloped by his work that he felt his work had all the answers. Along with all the scientific explanations of how the world functions, his career offered all the trappings of a comfortable lifestyle, and with his self confidence, he had no room in his head or heart for god.
He read and studied a great deal and eventually came across a couple of books that argued the case for “the selfish gene”. The point in these books was that our cells predominant reason for existence is to reproduce and in order to perform this function they will do and fight against anything. This consequently makes them “selfish and evil” by nature. The books also claim that we have to develop artificially the concept of “good” to overcome this natural selfishness. To our lecturing physicist this wasn’t very satisfactory reasoning so looked for an answer that was more satisfying to his mind.
His answer eventually came via his daughter. She was full of self confidence, a self confidence born from a total belief in god. She invited her father to attend “An Alpha Course” and from this he really took to the concept that God is one. No having a division between an artificial good and a selfish gene, but a god who can point us in the path of good and righteousness and we only have to look at one idea to see the truth.
He went on to say that a mathematician (I didn’t take in his name) had calculated that for life to be created with the planet having all the right chemicals and atmosphere to sustain life plus the sun, moon and stars to be in their corresponding places, the odds are 1 with billions of zeros after it. The conclusion was that the world and life is too orderly to be created by such chance. The more obvious answer is that a greater force, god created this world and the universe.
He has obviously now become a Christian, following the faith wholeheartedly. Our physicist was also under the impression that such great scientists as Darwin and Isaac Newton were actually religious men too.
I don’t pretend to understand science and the creation of the world, but my understanding of “The Big Bang Theory” of the creation of the universe is that the stars, the planets, the sun and galaxies were all created from a massive nuclear explosion originating from one single atom. My question is, who put the atom there?
Now I’m sure there are many clever people out there who would like to answer that question but even if they can answer it satisfactorily you can still keep asking the “who provided that” question. Eventually there is no logical answer other than god.
I’m sorry if this is all sounding rather heavy. I must admit that I struggled to keep up with a lot of the science bit.
Ultimately a belief in god or a belief and self confidence in oneself is somewhat irrelevant. It is a belief system and a belief in success that will provide the achievements and abundance that we all crave for.
Terry Norrington
www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index#terryn1
http://140020.successuniversity.com
www.getselfconfident.com
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