Book 12.

The Language of God, by Francis S. Collins.

Ehem. I LOVED this book. Here are a bunch of quotes that I really liked.

"When I was... fourteen, my eyes were opened to the wonderfully exciting and powerful methods of science. Inspired by a charismatic chemistry teacher... I discovered for the first time the intense satisfaction fo the ordered nature of the universe. The fact that all matter was constructed of atoms and molecules that followed mathematical principles was an unexpected revelation, and the ability to use the tools of science to discover new things about nature struck me at once as something of which I wanted to be a part. With the enthusiasm of a new convert, I decided my goal in life would be to become a chemist." Oh yeah, that pretty much happened to me too :)

"Doubt is an unavoidable part of belief. In the words of Paul Tillich, 'doubt isn't the opposite of faith; it is an element of faith.'"

"More recently, for a scientist who occasionally is given the remarkable privilege of discovering something not previously known by man, there is a special kind of joy associated with such flashes of insight. Having percieved a glimmer of scientific truth, I find at once both a sense of satisfaction and a longing to understand some even greater Truth. In such moments science become more than a process of discovery. It transports the scientist into an experience that defies a comletely naturalistic explanation."

"Consider this: if the most important decision we are to make on this earh is a decision about belief, and if the most important relationship we are to develop on this earth is a relationship with God, and if our existence as spiritual creatures is not limited to what we can know and ovserve during our earthly lifetime, then human suffereings take on a wholly new context. We may never fully understand the reasons for these painful experiences, but we can begin to accept the idea that there may be such reasons."

"One of the most cherished hopes of a scientist is to make an observation that shakes up a field of research. Scientists have a streak of closeted anarchism, hoping that someday they will turn up some unexpected fact that will force a disruption of the framework of the day." Yes, sometimes I daydream about doing this as well haha.

Psalm 8: When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him?

Galileo said, "I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."

"Prayer is not, as some seem to suggest, an opportunity to manipulate God into doing what you want Him to. Prayer is instead our way of seeking felloship with God, learning about Him, and attempting to perceive His perspective on the many issues around us that cause us puzzlement, wonder, or distress."

"Christians all too often come across as arrogant, judgmental, and self-righteous, but Christ never did."

"Will we turn our backs on science because it is perceived as a treat to God, abandoning all of the promise of advancing our understanding of nature and applying that to the alleviation of suffering and the betterment of humankind? Alternatively, will we turn our backs on faith, concluding that science has rendered the spritual life no longer necessary, and that traditional religious symbols can now be replaced by engravings of the double helix on our altars?
Both of these choices are profoundly dangerous. Both deny truth. Both will diminish the nobility of humankind. Both will be devastating to our future. And both are unneccessary. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. H can be worshiped in the cathedral or in the laboratory. His creation is majestic, awesome, intricate, and beautiful - and it cannot be at war with itself. Only we imperfect humans can start such battles. And only we can end them."

Basically, this book was the sweetest. Francis S. Collins was the leader of the Human Genome Project. In this book he speaks of his journey to believing in God, from being an atheist at first, then an agnostic, then to believing in a God who cares individually for each of his children. He presented some very interesting and cool viewpoints. I think it was neat to hear someone who knows soooo much about science talk about how God's hand is in it all. He was able to help one see how the Big Bang and God coexist, how evolution is probably part of God's plan. It was suuuuuuper neat. I would most definitely suggest this book!