ck1
01 May 2009, 12:55 AM
Francis Collins recently left his position as head of the Human Genome Institute at NIH.
He has long been interested in science and religion, as evidenced by his book, The Language of God.
He has now started a new website, BioLogos, with Karl Giberson:
http://biologos.org/
BioLogos is led by a team of believing scientists who are committed to promoting a perspective of both theological and scientific soundness, which takes seriously the claims of theism and of evolution, and finds compelling evidence for their compatibility.
The site attempts to explain evolutionary biology to Christians who may be sceptical of the science. Here is their mission statement:
Dr. Francis Collins established The BioLogos Foundation to engage America’s escalating culture war between science and faith. On one side of the conversation, the “new atheists” argue that science removes the need for God. On the other side, religious fundamentalists argue that the Bible requires us to reject much of modern science. Many scientists, believers, and members of the general public do not find these options attractive.
There is therefore a great need to contribute to the public voice that represents the harmony of science and faith. BioLogos addresses the core themes of science and religion, and emphasizes the compatibility of Christian faith with what science has discovered about the origins of the universe and life. In order to communicate this message to the general public, The BioLogos Foundation has created BioLogos.org.
Funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, the website articulates the compatibility of modern science with traditional Christian belief. Among other resources, this website posts responses to many of the questions received by Collins, Giberson, and Falk since the publication of their books, including: The Language of God; Saving Darwin; and Coming to Peace With Science. By providing trustworthy insight, BioLogos.org stands as a reliable source of scholarly thought on contemporary issues in science and faith.
Some of the info on the site seems odd, like some of the questions they pose and answer:
What is the proper relationship between science and religion?Science and religion are sometimes thought to offer entirely separate bodies of knowledge. However, science is not the only source of factual statements, and religion does reach beyond the realm of values and morals.
What factual statements can be derived from religion, and what does religion teach that has to do with the natural world?
Is there room in BioLogos to believe in miracles?This response provides a simple answer to the question of miracles – namely, that BioLogos does not in any way remove the logical possibility of miracles. However, for the universe to behave in an apparently ordered fashion, such events must be rare.
Oh, my.
At what point in the evolutionary process did humans attain the “Image of God”?Most theologians argue that the Image of God is not reflected as a physical image, but rather as characteristics of the mind and soul. From the BioLogos perspective, God planned for humans to evolve to the point of attaining these characteristics.
Is it possible to bend over too far to accomodate religion?
He has long been interested in science and religion, as evidenced by his book, The Language of God.
He has now started a new website, BioLogos, with Karl Giberson:
http://biologos.org/
BioLogos is led by a team of believing scientists who are committed to promoting a perspective of both theological and scientific soundness, which takes seriously the claims of theism and of evolution, and finds compelling evidence for their compatibility.
The site attempts to explain evolutionary biology to Christians who may be sceptical of the science. Here is their mission statement:
Dr. Francis Collins established The BioLogos Foundation to engage America’s escalating culture war between science and faith. On one side of the conversation, the “new atheists” argue that science removes the need for God. On the other side, religious fundamentalists argue that the Bible requires us to reject much of modern science. Many scientists, believers, and members of the general public do not find these options attractive.
There is therefore a great need to contribute to the public voice that represents the harmony of science and faith. BioLogos addresses the core themes of science and religion, and emphasizes the compatibility of Christian faith with what science has discovered about the origins of the universe and life. In order to communicate this message to the general public, The BioLogos Foundation has created BioLogos.org.
Funded by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation, the website articulates the compatibility of modern science with traditional Christian belief. Among other resources, this website posts responses to many of the questions received by Collins, Giberson, and Falk since the publication of their books, including: The Language of God; Saving Darwin; and Coming to Peace With Science. By providing trustworthy insight, BioLogos.org stands as a reliable source of scholarly thought on contemporary issues in science and faith.
Some of the info on the site seems odd, like some of the questions they pose and answer:
What is the proper relationship between science and religion?Science and religion are sometimes thought to offer entirely separate bodies of knowledge. However, science is not the only source of factual statements, and religion does reach beyond the realm of values and morals.
What factual statements can be derived from religion, and what does religion teach that has to do with the natural world?
Is there room in BioLogos to believe in miracles?This response provides a simple answer to the question of miracles – namely, that BioLogos does not in any way remove the logical possibility of miracles. However, for the universe to behave in an apparently ordered fashion, such events must be rare.
Oh, my.
At what point in the evolutionary process did humans attain the “Image of God”?Most theologians argue that the Image of God is not reflected as a physical image, but rather as characteristics of the mind and soul. From the BioLogos perspective, God planned for humans to evolve to the point of attaining these characteristics.
Is it possible to bend over too far to accomodate religion?