Francis Collins in National Geographic

Francis Collins, the man who headed the public side of the human genome project, has written a book about science and his faith in God titled, The Language of God. There is an interview with him in the current National Geographic. Below are a couple of passages that caught my eye.

Continue Reading

Horgan: The problem I have with miracles is not just that they violate what science tells us about how the world works. They also make God seem too capricious. For example, many people believe that if they pray hard enough God will intercede to heal them or a loved one. But does that mean that all those who don't get better aren't worthy?

Collins: In my own experience as a physician, I have not seen a miraculous healing, and I don't expect to see one. Also, prayer for me is not a way to manipulate God into doing what we want him to do. Prayer for me is much more a sense of trying to get into fellowship with God. I'm trying to figure out what I should be doing rather than telling Almighty God what he should be doing. Look at the Lord's Prayer. It says, "Thy will be done." It wasn't, "Our Father who art in Heaven, please get me a parking space."

I was a bit surprised by that answer. You would think (or at least I did) that an evangelical Christian physician and scientist would have at least one or two stories of the potentially miraculous.

Horgan: What do you think about the field of neurotheology, which attempts to identify the neural basis of religious experiences?

Collins: I think it's fascinating but not particularly surprising. We humans are flesh and blood. So it wouldn't trouble me—if I were to have some mystical experience myself—to discover that my temporal lobe was lit up. That doesn't mean that this doesn't have genuine spiritual significance. Those who come at this issue with the presumption that there is nothing outside the natural world will look at this data and say, "Ya see?" Whereas those who come with the presumption that we are spiritual creatures will go, "Cool! There is a natural correlate to this mystical experience! How about that!"

I don't think you can say that without taking the science to the next step. And that is, why does the temporal lobe light up? Speaking from the background of Mormon materialism, there must be a physical reason.

Continue reading...

War, Terror, and Mormon Urban Legends

The December 2006 Sunstone Magazine has a free article titled, "The Cost of Credulity: Mormon Urban Legends and the War on Terror." [Link] Robert Rees debunks a number of the rumors that have circulated in the wake of 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. You've likely heard at least a couple of them.

He starts out the article by listing some of the classics, including the 1736 prophecy by a Catholic priest of the restoration of the gospel. I admit that I was taken in by that one as a teenager. I'm not really sure when it lost credibility with me, but I also remember some nice members on my mission who brought it to our attention and were quite taken with it. I think maybe I was suspicious by then. Heck, while I'm on the subject, I was introduced to the Del Parsons 'fireside and the painting of Christ' story in the MTC and fell for it until our teacher gently suggested it was not true.

Rees points out what he thinks are some of the dangers of these rumors. I tend to agree with him, but I'll add one of my own: People who habitually spread these things hurt their own credibility.

Of course Mormons are not the only ones with these kinds of stories. The old disappearing hitchhiker story has a more generic Christian version, and I heard on NPR that some Iraqis, following his hanging, claimed to see Saddam's face in the moon--taking it as some kind of victory sign.

Continue reading...

William H. Chamberlin: The Rest of the Story

In 1911 a controversy at Brigham Young University over the topics of evolution and biblical higher criticism resulted in the departure of several faculty, including William H. Chamberlin.

Philip Barlow's Mormons and the Bible contains "the rest of the story," that I had not seen before.

Four years after his departure William Chamberlin was hired again at Brigham Young College in Logan and was even invited to return to BYU, although his health prevented his return and he died soon after. Adam S. Bennion, future apostle and then superintendant of the Church's educational system distributed a book about Chamberlin's life and philosophy from his office.

David O. McKay had recommended that Chamberlin be re-hired.

Calling Chamberlin "a superior man in intellect and in spirit," McKay wrote [in 1926]: "That a lofty, sincere soul like W.H. Chamberlin should have been compelled to struggle in our community and to have been misunderstood by those who should have known him best, seems to me to be nothing short of a tragedy." (Barlow, p. 138)

---

For more on the 1911 controversy see here.

Continue reading...

Kent Hovind Sentenced to 10 Years

Kent Hovind has been sentenced to 10 years for tax evasion. But don't you worry; he'll be back in no time and have martyr status to boot.

Prior to his sentencing, a tearful Kent Hovind, also known as "Dr. Dino" asked for the court’s leniency.

“If it’s just money the IRS wants, there are thousands of people out there who will help pay the money they want so I can go back out there and preach,” Hovind said.

Hovind, founder of Creation Science Evangelism and Dinosaur Adventure Land in Pensacola, was found guilty in November of 58 federal counts, including failure to pay $845,000 in employee-related taxes. He faced a maximum of 288 years in prison.

Don't let the tears fool you. Hovind dodged the IRS for 17 years claiming that he didn't have any income, own property, or have employees--that everything he had actually belonged to God, that his employees were volunteers (that were paid cash) and that he therefore didn't owe taxes.

For more background on Hovind see here.

Continue reading...

Variant LDS Creationism

Mormons usually are not particularly unique in their creationism. Except for a few details on the timing of creation and the creation of Adam and Eve, they usually let other segments of Christianity do the work for them and follow their lead. However at WeaverResearch there are some new (or at least uncommon) twists to young-earth creationism.

Continue Reading at Mormons and Evolution.

Continue reading...

Pre-Columbian Parasites

Jeff Lindsay at Mormanity recently drew attention to John Sorenson's article, "Scientific Evidence for Pre-Columbian Transoceanic Voyages to and from the Americas."

In an attempt to find some corroborating publications, I did a little searching and turned up this recent article on hookworm. I also found an older article. Interested persons may wish to have a look at them.

I cannot speak to the quality of the journals, however Current Anthropology looks legitimate, coming out of the University of Chicago.

Continue reading...

Book Notes: The Church and Smallpox Vaccination

I'm going to try out a new type of post, that I'll call 'Book Notes,' which consists of things I come across in my reading that I think are worth mentioning. Rather than attempting to give lots of background and analysis, either on the topic or the book, I will simply convey what the particular author has written. If it's convenient, I may add some additional outside information. [I have since decided to put all book posts under the book notes category.]

From Mormonism in Transition, by Thomas G. Alexander (p. 195):

Early in the twentieth century the idea of mandatory smallpox vaccination was controversial in Utah. Mainstream medicine was growing in favor among the Saints, but there were many who shunned it. [In fairness, mainstream medicine was only beginning to be trustworthy.] Millenialism and belief that righteous living and the power of the priesthood would protect them, led some to oppose mandatory vaccination.

Continue Reading

As editor of the Deseret News Charles W. Penrose opposed manditory vaccination on the grounds of personal liberty. Although it seems he represented the minority of church leaders, many took Penrose's position as representative of church leadership. The Utah legislature overrode Governor Heber M. Wells's veto to pass a bill prohibiting compulsory vaccination, thus "subjecting Utah children to disease for many years." Twenty years later the First Presidency and the Twelve would finally support compulsory vaccination.

The controversy illustrates two tensions in Mormon society. First, many valued individual libery over the general non-church welfare and would invoke the doctrine of free agency to avoid compulsion. Second, in an apparent effort to make Church leaders at least appear unified and harmonious, the First Presidency and Twelve generally avoided public debate. General Authorities generally did not publically speak out against the position of other General Authorities, thus the first position to reach the public, whether through publication or rumor, was viewed by many as having Church support (something that also played an important role in Utah politics, as is discussed elsewhere in the book).

---

Here is an excerpt from a speech given by Joseph F. Smith (Improvement Era, August 1910):

When I was on missions I was called to administer to the sick, who were ill with almost every kind of disease. It was not uncommon that we were called to administer to those who were sick with small pox. For myself I dared not turn away from the call of the sick, and I administered to some of them, when, owing to their appearance, it was almost impossible to tell that they were human beings, for they had the disease in its worst form. My guardians had taken the precaution, in my youth, to have me vaccinated. I took the disease, but had it in mild form, so that it did not leave even a mark upon my body. I am as satisfied as I can be that had it not been for vaccination, I would have had the disease in very bad form. I believe that our elders ought to be vaccinated. Now, I know that this will not be in accordance with some people's views. We receive word that many of our elders, who have failed to attend to this matter, are exposed to the disease and become affected with it; and recently a number of them have had to be taken to the pest-houses to be cared for.

Of course, smallpox has since been eradicated through vaccination. Since the risk of adverse effects of vaccination now outweigh the risk of getting the disease, the public is no longer vaccinated.

Continue reading...

What Does Richard Dawkins Really Think?

Richard Dawkins is certainly a polarizing figure, and with his latest book assailing belief in God (which I have not read), the rhetoric has been raised on all sides. What I have read of his writing, I have generally enjoyed. He makes me think, if nothing else.

Apparently, in his latest book, Dawkins compares indoctrinating children in religion to child abuse. (Can we agree that in some cases the comparison might be apt?) This, of course, raises the blood pressure of religious people, as well as civil libertarians.

But does Dawkins actually think that it should be illegal to teach your religion to your children? I can't read his mind, but his response to Nick Matzke at The Panda's Thumb appears to answer that question.

Continue reading...