The HOW of Science and the WHY of Faith

By Noralyn Dudt

FAITH and science collide, often the saying goes. But developments in biochemistry and cell biology are proving otherwise. A biochemist peers into a tiny cell and  he stands in awe by the intricacies of the molecular machines that reside there which science has been uncovering over the last decade. There are elegant machines that translate RNA into protein, others that help move the cell around and others that transmit signals from the cell surface to the nucleus, traveling along a cascading pathway of multiple components. And  It is not only  the cell that provokes a sense of astonishment -- entire organs that are made up of billions or trillions of cells are constructed in a way that can only inspire awe. Consider, for instance, the human eye, a complex camera-like organ whose anatomy and physiology continue to impress even the most sophisticated student of optics.

Dr. Francis Collins, a renowned geneticist and former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is known for his perspective on the relationship between faith and science.  He argues that science and faith are not in conflict, but rather can be complementary perspectives in understanding the world. Collins who professes his faith in Christ sees scientific discoveries—numerous discoveries that he himself made—not as a challenge to his faith, but as an opportunity for deeper appreciation of God's creation. Science explores the "how" of the natural world, while faith addresses the "why."

Dr. Collins was selected to head  the Human Genome Project that was completed in 2003. Considered one of the greatest scientific feats in history, it was a massive collaborative research effort that took 13 years and half a billion dollars to bring to fruition. The  primary goal was to sequence the human genome, identify its genes and develop tools to analyze the genetic information. With this  fundamental information about the human blueprint, the study of human biology accelerated and  the practice of medicine significantly  improved.

The Human  Genome Project was an accomplishment that brought  so much hope to those suffering from genetic diseases and disorders. It opened the door to better methods of  diagnosing,  treating, and preventing long list of diseases that have not been understood well. At a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in June of 2000, President Clinton praised Dr. Collins and his team of more than a thousand scientists who had just assembled the first draft of the three billion letters in the human genome. Clinton called this a "stunning and humbling achievement," rivalling Galileo's. Collins told the audience, "we have caught the first glimpse of our own instruction book, previously known only to God."

The alphabet soup of 3 billion base pairs—the fundamental units that make up DNA, represented by the letters A, T, G, and C—were secrets to every person's fate: who they were, what they looked like—and more importantly, what diseases they would develop.

Understanding the genome has enabled researchers to identify gene variants associated with diseases, leading to more personalized approaches to diagnosis and treatment. The knowledge gained from the Human Genome Project has fueled advancements in areas like gene therapy, drug development, and disease prevention.

As a young man, Dr. Collins considered himself an atheist. However,  when he was a medical student at the University of North Carolina,  Collins observed that religion had the power to  comfort patients in physical and existential pain. When an elderly woman with an incurable heart condition asked him what he believed, he found himself at a loss. With time, the question began to feel overwhelming, urgent, and unavoidable.  Even as Collins held on to the idea that science could untangle the mechanics  of life, he read C.S. Lewis and consulted a pastor. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that faith, more than science, could help illuminate morality and existence. He argued that science and religion could exist alongside each other. In 2006, he published "The Language of God, " a best-selling book that presents evidence that, in his view, justifies faith. In it, Collin argues that faith is rational, that it can help answer life's deepest questions. He sees scientific discovery as a way to appreciate a deeper sense of awe and worship for the Creator. He emphasizes that faith can provide a framework for understanding life's deeper questions, offering guidance and purpose especially in challenging times. Advances in science present "an opportunity for worship, " rather than a catalyst for doubt."

A man who was a renowned geneticist who had helped to discover key genes behind cystic fibrosis,  Type 2 diabetes,  Huntington's disease, neurofibromatosis, and other conditions was just the type of person whom President Obama had in mind when he nominated Dr. Collins to lead the National Institutes of Health in 2009, three years after the completion of the Human Genome Project. The National Institutes of Health is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. In his twelve years as director of the NIH—the longest that anyone has held the position in half a century—Collins oversaw 27 institutes, 46,000 employees and contractors, and a budget that grew to US$42 billion.

He helped to secure budget increases of more than 40%, using them to fund a slew of new programs and initiatives related to, among other things,  brain health, addiction research,  and the development of COVID-19 therapies and vaccines.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Collins has struggled with a painful paradox: science is more effective and necessary than ever, and also less trusted. Researchers revealed how a novel pathogen spreads, evolves, and kills; they used its genome to create lifesaving vaccines in less than a year. At the same time,  politicians and media figures, especially on the right, have undermined pandemic recommendations, maligned public-health leaders, and sown doubt about the vaccines.

The New Yorker, which is known for in-depth reporting, interviewed Dr. Collins on the best- seller book he published, "The Language of God." In that interview Dr. Collins said  "If you see God as the creator of the universe—in all its amazing complexity, diversity and awesome beauty—then science, which is, of course, a means of exploring nature, also becomes a means of exploring God's creative abilities.  And so, for me, as a scientist who is also a religious believer, research activities that look like science can also be thought of as opportunities to worship."

Faith and Science do offer complementary perspectives in understanding the world.

The Psalmist expresses it well: "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters." Psalm 24:1-2

And the psalmist King David goes on to sing:

        "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers,

             the moon, the stars, which you have set in place,

             what is man that you are mindful of him?

             the son of man that you care for him?

             You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings

             and crowned him with glory and honor.

             You made him ruler over the works of your hands,

             you put everything under his feet: all flocks and herds

             and the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and fish of the

             sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

                   Oh Lord, our Lord

                   how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalms 8:3-9)

While "the heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the work of his hands"  (Psalm 19:1), science had uncovered the blueprint, the instruction book of ourselves, our human genome, that was previously known only to the One who created us.

 

Noralyn Onto Dudt who had written articles on the Coronavirus and vaccines resides in North Bethesda, Maryland just 3 miles from the National Institutes of Health where Dr. Collins and his team of scientists conducted their research. Emmanuel Lutheran Church whose congregation sings praises to the Lord God  who made the heavens and the earth is also nearby.