The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 7 of 15)

Since the discovery that intricate codes govern the development of life, Darwin's theory is doomed. Intelligent design will reign as soon as the current generation of "true believers" dies out.

p>Science is not opposed to God. br> -- David Moshinsky /p>

After reading their declaration, I am relieved to know that the Center for Inquiry-Transnational has imparted to us this revelation. Because of their prescient understanding of the human predicament we now know the source of all the world's problems. According to them, anyone not driven by blind faith in reason and science as the only path to human knowledge has been unduly influenced by the wrong group of fundamentalists. These enlightened souls seek to rectify this by spreading the gospel of secularism and naturalism. They want their scripture imposed on the minds of the world's schoolchildren without the restraints placed upon them by outdated theistic religions. This is nothing more than 19th century modernism dressed up in 21st century regalia. The notion that reason and science can explain everything and provide heaven on earth to its adherents has been around for over 150 years. The world still bears the scars inflicted by totalitarian leaders who tried to apply the tenets of this man is god religion.

I was particularly amused by their assertion that "[this retreat into mysticism [religion] is reinforced by the emergence in universities of 'post-modernism' which undermines the objectivity of science." It hasn't yet occurred to them that postmodernism arose from the utter bankruptcy of modernism. Those disillusioned with the failure of empirical science and pragmatism to provide satisfactory answers to life's most difficult questions by and large gave up searching for truth and meaning and embraced moral relativism instead.

p>The Christian understanding of human nature is the only one that comports to reality. We are all fallen creatures by nature who consistently behave selfishly. We cannot perfect ourselves through our own efforts. Our intellects and an increased knowledge of how science works cannot save us. Attempts to achieve the utopian ideals of modern secularists will fail because they do not recognize or address this flawed nature. Instead they prefer to delude themselves by believing the lie that mankind can overcome any obstacle and solve all problems by himself. This attitude is best summarized in a passage from one of the antiquated books secularists want to save us from: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools..." Romans 1:22 br> -- Rick Arand br> Lee's Summit, Missouri /p>

I just read the column on the scientific community's attack on religious faith. Based on the comments you cited, these eminent scientists are either extremely ignorant of their own craft or just plain anti-religious bigots.

In the former instance, they would have to be unaware that science is just a method of inquiry about the material world that, by its own standards, has absolutely nothing to say on questions beyond that physical world. Further, their insistent pointing to the power of science to do what it is designed to doâ€"duhâ€"as justification to preclude the existence and usefulness of something out of the reach of science, is about as incoherently non-sequitur-ish as if I were to continually tout the power of the flashlight in refusing to acknowledge the beautyâ€"or even the possibility of the existence--of music. Even really smart people can't be that dumb.

p>So the latter case of anti-religious bigotry seems to me the more plausible. Again they can't seriously be that stupid about the essence of science to insist that it alone serve as

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