The Faith of A Scientist
Yesterday, I read a fantastic book. It is called The Faith of a Scientist, and it was written by Henry Eyring, father of President Henry B Eyring, and a well recognized chemist. ( President Johnson presented him with the National Medal of Science in 1967.) The book was also published in 1967, but the things written in it remain pertinent today. The subject? How a scientist can "[reconcile] the principles of true science with the principles of true religion." This very readable book is full of interesting scientific examples and explanations, with stories about Newton and Copernicus and even some of Eyring's personal experiences with Albert Einstein. He discusses principles of astronomy, geology, biology, and mathematics as well as chemistry. I highly recommend it!
There are many things in this book which I understood before, but had difficulty articulating. I left it with a greater understanding of science, religion, and searching for truth. Here are some of the things that I read:
There are many ways to come to a belief in God. "The more I try to unravel the mysteries of the world in which we live, the more I come to the conception of a single overruling power--God. One can come to this point of view by prayer and the testimony of the Holy Ghost or because there seems to be no other explanation of the unity and wonder of the universe or by the pragmatic method of science that the Savior suggested long ago--try it and you will know." (p103)
Science deals with the how and what, while religion deals with the why. "Science deals only with how the world works and has little to say about why the world is at it is. Values, also, are something apart from science. We must find the meaning of life in religion and in metaphysics... If we think of the universe as analogous to a great machine, then man is learning through science something about how the machine works, but only through philosophy and religion can he catch a glimpse of the purposes of the Designer and His reasons for the grand design." (p 102)
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe the truth, whether we know it or not. "A young man said: 'In high school we are taught such things as pre-Adamic men, and that kind of thing, but we hear another thing in Church. What should I do about it?' I think I gave the right answer. I said, 'In this Church, you only have to believe the truth. Find out what the truth is!' ... the Church is committed only to the truth. I do not mean to say that as individuals in the Church each one always knows the actual truth, but we have the humility sometimes to say we do not know the answer to these things. (p 105)
Contradictions between religion and science will only exist until we have learned all there is to learn. "Apparent contradictions between religion and science often have been the basis of bitter controversy. Such differences are to be expected as long as human understanding remains provisional and fragmentary. Only as one's understanding approaches the Divine will all seeming contradictions disappear. Such complete understanding is to be approached as a part of the eternal progress which will continue in the life to come. In the meantime, we can only continue our quest for the balanced view that comes from weighing all evidence carefully in the search for enduring values. The road is a long one, but the outcome is assured if we are willing to travel it." (p 99)
When something we thought was true proves not to be, this only draws us closer to what is actually true. It doesn't mean, however, that we should reject all that we previously believed to be true. "Science has also in effect strengthened religion by assisting in sifting the grain of truth from the chaff of imagined fable. It is interesting to recall that in ages past, religious men felt that their faith hinged on the notion that the earth was flat. However, when it was found to be round, they discovered that their basic religious ideas had survived without perceptive damage. In fact, the great underlying principles of faith were brought into bolder relief when the clutter of false notions was removed from about them." (pp 35-36)
We should be careful of what we teach. "One of the problems of the Church is the unsound arguments sometimes used in its defense. People examine such arguments, find they won't hold water, and say, 'My, the Gospel must be unsound.' The conception that the Gospel should only be defended on the right ground is of utmost importance, since otherwise one may choose a position to defend which is indefensible; and in defeat it may be mistakenly supposed that the Gospel is at fault." (p. 51)
Just because a prophet says something, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is true, and if something he says isn't true, that doesn't mean that he isn't a prophet. "A prophet is wonderful because he sometimes speaks for the Lord. This occurs on certain occasions when the Lord wills it. On other occasions, he speaks for himself, and one of the wonderful doctrines of this Church is that we don't believe in the infallibility of any mortal. If in his speculations the Prophet thought [something that was false], this has no effect on my belief that on other occasions, when the Lord willed it, he spoke the ideas that the Lord inspired him to say, It is for these moments of penetrating insight that I honor and follow him." (p52)
Perceived faults in the gospel are due to the weaknesses of men, not because the gospel itself is at fault. "The Gospel is not the people in the Church. The Gospel is not even the people who direct it. The Gospel is the truth... This Church would have been perfect if the Lord had not let people into it."(pp.52-53)
There are many things in this book which I understood before, but had difficulty articulating. I left it with a greater understanding of science, religion, and searching for truth. Here are some of the things that I read:
There are many ways to come to a belief in God. "The more I try to unravel the mysteries of the world in which we live, the more I come to the conception of a single overruling power--God. One can come to this point of view by prayer and the testimony of the Holy Ghost or because there seems to be no other explanation of the unity and wonder of the universe or by the pragmatic method of science that the Savior suggested long ago--try it and you will know." (p103)
Science deals with the how and what, while religion deals with the why. "Science deals only with how the world works and has little to say about why the world is at it is. Values, also, are something apart from science. We must find the meaning of life in religion and in metaphysics... If we think of the universe as analogous to a great machine, then man is learning through science something about how the machine works, but only through philosophy and religion can he catch a glimpse of the purposes of the Designer and His reasons for the grand design." (p 102)
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe the truth, whether we know it or not. "A young man said: 'In high school we are taught such things as pre-Adamic men, and that kind of thing, but we hear another thing in Church. What should I do about it?' I think I gave the right answer. I said, 'In this Church, you only have to believe the truth. Find out what the truth is!' ... the Church is committed only to the truth. I do not mean to say that as individuals in the Church each one always knows the actual truth, but we have the humility sometimes to say we do not know the answer to these things. (p 105)
Contradictions between religion and science will only exist until we have learned all there is to learn. "Apparent contradictions between religion and science often have been the basis of bitter controversy. Such differences are to be expected as long as human understanding remains provisional and fragmentary. Only as one's understanding approaches the Divine will all seeming contradictions disappear. Such complete understanding is to be approached as a part of the eternal progress which will continue in the life to come. In the meantime, we can only continue our quest for the balanced view that comes from weighing all evidence carefully in the search for enduring values. The road is a long one, but the outcome is assured if we are willing to travel it." (p 99)
When something we thought was true proves not to be, this only draws us closer to what is actually true. It doesn't mean, however, that we should reject all that we previously believed to be true. "Science has also in effect strengthened religion by assisting in sifting the grain of truth from the chaff of imagined fable. It is interesting to recall that in ages past, religious men felt that their faith hinged on the notion that the earth was flat. However, when it was found to be round, they discovered that their basic religious ideas had survived without perceptive damage. In fact, the great underlying principles of faith were brought into bolder relief when the clutter of false notions was removed from about them." (pp 35-36)
We should be careful of what we teach. "One of the problems of the Church is the unsound arguments sometimes used in its defense. People examine such arguments, find they won't hold water, and say, 'My, the Gospel must be unsound.' The conception that the Gospel should only be defended on the right ground is of utmost importance, since otherwise one may choose a position to defend which is indefensible; and in defeat it may be mistakenly supposed that the Gospel is at fault." (p. 51)
Just because a prophet says something, that doesn't necessarily mean that it is true, and if something he says isn't true, that doesn't mean that he isn't a prophet. "A prophet is wonderful because he sometimes speaks for the Lord. This occurs on certain occasions when the Lord wills it. On other occasions, he speaks for himself, and one of the wonderful doctrines of this Church is that we don't believe in the infallibility of any mortal. If in his speculations the Prophet thought [something that was false], this has no effect on my belief that on other occasions, when the Lord willed it, he spoke the ideas that the Lord inspired him to say, It is for these moments of penetrating insight that I honor and follow him." (p52)
Perceived faults in the gospel are due to the weaknesses of men, not because the gospel itself is at fault. "The Gospel is not the people in the Church. The Gospel is not even the people who direct it. The Gospel is the truth... This Church would have been perfect if the Lord had not let people into it."(pp.52-53)
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