May 13, 2009

tothesource congratulates Francis Collins and his team on the launch of their ambitious project, The BioLogos Foundation (www.biologos.org). BioLogos exists to promote the search for truth in both the natural and spiritual realms, and seeks to harmonize these different perspectives.

Of course, defusing a centuries-old cold war between those who see only conflict between science and religion requires bold confrontation of fierce prejudices, and substantial answers to tough questions.  Collins and his expert team are marching to the contentious front lines to show how science and faith are actually allies in the pursuit of Truth.

Meanwhile, "neo-atheist evolutionist" crusader Jerry Coyne and others of his ilk prefer to stoke the feud against "supernaturalists" like Collins.  In his recent rant about BioLogos, Coyne chastised various science organizations for their lack of hostility toward religion:  "By seeking union with religious people, and emphasizing that there is no genuine conflict between faith and science, they are making accommodationism not just a tactical position, but a philosophical one…By consorting with scientists and philosophers who incorporate supernaturalism into their view of evolution, they erode the naturalism that underpins modern evolutionary theory." (Sounds like the same old atheist dogma.)

For those who seek wisdom beyond the tired yarns of the naysayers, BioLogos delivers the goods.  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. In a recent interview, Christianity Today asked Dr Collins what led him to this new project.

"After my book ("The Language of God") I got thousands of e-mails from people, many of them troubled, many of them excited, many of them puzzled by what they heard. They wanted to engage in a further discussion that would drill more deeply.

I tried to keep up with those letters and quickly found out there was no way I could. I felt bad because the point was to start a conversation and I wasn't holding up my end. There needed to be a place to provide some kind of responses to the questions that came up over and over again, and that sounds like a Web site."

After collecting over 1,000 questions, the BioLogos team has formulated the most essential, common, and challenging questions that expose the crux of the relationship between science and faith, and posted these questions along with thoughtful, informed responses.  Let's take a few samples (see website for extended answers and additional questions): www.biologos.org/questions

Q: How is BioLogos different from Darwinism or Social Darwinism?

A: Darwinism is the scientific theory of evolution by natural selection. BioLogos accepts that evolution is true, and sees God as the author of this process. Social Darwinism is a misguided set of beliefs that applies evolutionary concepts to the social realm. BioLogos does not support Social Darwinism…

Q: What is the proper relationship between science and religion?

A: 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.

Q: What is a God-of-the-Gaps argument? Are fine-tuning and morality just new examples of this?

A: God-of-the-gaps arguments use gaps in scientific explanation as indicators – or even proof – of God's action, and therefore of God's existence. But the danger of using a God-of-the-gaps argument for the action – or even existence – of God is that it lacks the foresight of future scientific discoveries.

Q: What role could God have in evolution?

A: Given that evolution accounts for the diversity of present life (see Question 26), it might seem as if God plays no role in the process. But our modern understanding of physical laws, combined with a proper understanding of God's relationship to time, can be synthesized into a robust theistic worldview.

In addition to fielding questions from students and the public at large, BioLogos will sponsor workshops, book clubs, short courses, curricular partnerships with Christian schools, presentations, interviews, and keep their finger on the cultural pulse by tracking news and events pertaining to science and religion. Collins and his colleagues are ushering in a new era of understanding and progress, and challenging you to take part.