Science and Faith

I read a fascinating interview with Francis Collins this weekend in the February issue of Discover magazine, a scientific publication written for folks who aren't all that scientific. Collins heads the National Human Genome Research Institute and is, by all accounts, a brilliant scientist. He's also a Christian who recently published a book called "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief." He buys evolution and supports embryonic stem cell research -- probably the most interesting part of the interview, for my money -- but he takes scientists to task for sometimes belittling religious belief.

"Is there any dogma more unsupported by the facts than from the scientist who stands up and says, 'I know there is no God'?" Collins says in the interview. "Science is woefully unsuited to ask the question of God in the first place. So give the religious folks a break. They are seeking the kind of spiritual truths that have always interested humankind but that science cannot really address."

It doesn't look like Discover posted the interview online. But, if you run across a copy of this issue of Discover -- it has a fat naked guy on the cover -- you might want to pick it up.