"commitment to scientism not overlooked"

Submitted by Lactantius Jr (United Kingdom), Dec 11, 2010 at 16:29

To Alain Grynberg

Your commitment to scientism, ie science as a religion is touching, but flawed. Karl Popper (1902-1994), is generally regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science of the 20th.century,

http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/popper/

and Popper coined these memorable words,

"The empirical basis of objective science has thus nothing 'absolute' about it. Science does not rest upon rock bottom. The bold structure of its theories rises, as it were, above a swamp. It is like a building erected on piles. The piles are driven down from above into the swamp, but not down to any natural or 'given' base, and when we cease our attempts to drive our piles into a deeper layer, it is not because we have reached firm ground. We simply stop, when we are satisfied they are firm enough to carry the structure, at least for the time being."

"The Logic Of Scientific Discovery"

Karl Raimund Popper, Hutchinson, London 1959, p.111.

A scientist who coined other memorable words was William Henry Bragg OM, KBE, PRS, who has the unique distinction of sharing a Nobel Prize for Physics with his son, William Lawrence Bragg, the prize being awarded in 1915 for their work leading to the founding of a new branch of science, work which was of the greatest importance and significance, that being X-ray crystallography.

William Henry's memorable words were,

"Science and religion are opposed, in the sense that my thumb and forefinger are opposed, and between them anything can be grasped."

Father and son Bragg were physicists, as are the greatest proportion of scientists who are Christian believers, there being many highly distinguished senior scientists in membership of "Christians in Science" http://www.cis.org.uk/about

A site titled "Scientists of the Christian Faith: A Presentation of the Pioneers, Practitioners and Supporters of Modern Science" presenting more than 1,600 mini-biographies of scientists of the Christian faith is at,

http://www.tektonics.org/scim/sciencemony.htm

the biographies showing that history reveals mankind's greatest minds, scholars, mathemeticians, doctors, lawyers, historians, engineers, and yes, scientists and inventors, have been, and continue to be Christians, and my purpose in mentioning the foregoing, is to show that the most eminent scientists, scientists of the highest rank and greatest intellect, can be, have been, and are Christians, although I freely acknowledge that not all scientists are Christians, with some, notably Richard ("The God Delusion") Dawkins, being vitriolic critics of Christianity, Prof.Dawkins' vehement criticism bordering on outright hatred.

Be it noted though, that Dawkins comes in for strong criticism from fellow atheists, with the following comment by Michael Ruse, Professor of Philosophy in Florida, appearing on the front cover of "The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine" (Alister McGrath and Joanna Collicutt McGrath, SPCK Publishing, Reprint edition, 16th.February 2007)

"The God Delusion makes me embarassed to be an atheist, and the McGrath's show why"

I conclude by saying that Christianity is very much evidence-based, and ask if you have ever examined the evidence yourself? if not, why not? The evidence being readily available on the internet for scrutiny and careful consideration, using the mind you have, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, emphatically indicating the importance of using the mind, by replying as follows, when He was asked by an expert in the Jewish Law, which was the the most important commandment in the Law.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind" Matthew 22:37

with Simon Peter, one of Jesus' first followers saying,

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Being always ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." 1 Peter 3:15

and by the grace of God, I will, so please Alain Grynberg, do use your mind to examine the evidence for the truth and reality of Christianity, and typing "evidence for Christianity" into Google's search box, will I believe, produce intellectually satisfying evidence that will challenge you to rethink your world-view.

With kind regards and best wishes

Lactantius Jr

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