There have been several books published recently dealing with religion. You can find a few of them here, here, and here. I have read excerpts from a couple of these books, interviews with the authors, and independent reviews. The fundamental premises that the books can be summed up as follows:

1) There is no God and a belief in God is fantasy.

2) Religion has done more harm than good.

3) Religion inhibits progress in science and retards society’s development.

I consider myself a person of faith, albeit a very flawed one. I believe in a just and merciful God. I also consider myself a logical and rational person who believes in human progress. So how would I consider the points raised above?

There is no God. As stated above, I believe in God as a matter of faith. I feel that I have been touched by God’s presence in my life. How would I prove this to any of the authors listed above? I can’t of course, any more than they can prove to me that God doesn’t exist. I could shout, “There is a God!” They could shout back, “No there isn’t!” We could do this all day, but how could we possibly convince each other? If I suddenly decided I didn’t believe in God there would be no way for someone to logically convince me that he exists. I don’t think that my personal beliefs make me a “yokel” (as one of the authors called believers) any more than a non-believers creed makes him sophisticated. I have met some brilliant people of deep faith and some ignorant atheists. I’ve also seen the reverse. You have your beliefs and I have mine. I really try not to disparage those who believe differently than I do. We human beings are complicated, the sum of many things. We would do well not to engage in senseless arguments over who is more moral and pious or who is more enlightened and cosmopolitan.

Religion has done more harm than good. Well, there is no denying that people acting in the name of religion or faith have done terrible things. From sectarian killings in Bosnia, Northern Ireland, and Chechnya to the murderous Inquisition, to witch trials, to forced conversion by empire-building conquistadors, to people flying airplanes into buildings, terrible things have been done in the name of religion. People often use their religion or that of those they dislike to justify the unjustifiable. However, there are counter-examples. No one could accuse Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, or Pol Pot of being particularly religious, and they are among the greatest mass murders of the past century. It also isn’t difficult to look around and see that many faiths have built hospitals, aided the poor, helped in disaster relief, brought food to the elderly, and many other things that have benefited society. Show me Jim Bakker and I’ll lay Pope John Paul II on the table. Give me Bin Laden and I’ll raise you a Gandhi and call with Martin Luther King Jr. The point is that many people have done terrible things throughout history. Some of them were motivated by religion and some were motivated by greed, sex, or a thirst for power. It doesn’t take a religious motivation to do evil deeds, and both the faithful and the faithless have contributed to mankind in positive and negative ways.

Religion inhibits progress in science and retards society’s development. There is obviously evidence to back up this point. From the church’s suppression of Galileo’s work, attacks on science during the Dark Ages, fights over the teaching of evolution, to modern battles over stem cell research and genetic engineering, there is a historical conflict between matters of faith and science. New frontiers, especially in the life sciences, promise more conflict in the years to come. My father was a scientist, a renowned geophysicist, and also a man of deep faith. He believed in science and the ability of human beings to advance knowledge and improve their lives. He also had a deep abiding faith in God. There is no law that says you can’t be both. I remember reading of a Harvard scientist who talked about being regarded suspiciously by his scientific colleagues because of his faith and by members of his church because of his job. There are no easy answers here. Scientists do need to understand that some things conflict with the moral and religious beliefs of their fellow citizens. People of faith need to understand that technology holds the promise of improving our lives. Don’t embrace ignorance from a moral high ground. Don’t think that science has all the answers to make us better people.

To the book authors I would say this…..you search for your answers and I’ll search for mine. Hopefully we can all find what brings us peace.

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