As Exhibit A of an influential evangelical Christian that has been captivated by scientific materialism, West unpacks the work and troubled legacy of Dr. Francis Collins.
--During his tenure as director of the National Institutes of Health,
Collins has led a years-long crusade to de-legitimize fellow Christian scientists, scholars, and laypeople who are skeptical of Darwinian evolution.
--This effort to reduce the range of voices allowed to pursue truth in science has confused many people and retarded scientific progress at precisely the time America should be taking the lead in scientific research and discovery.
As West points out in his reading, science is a wonderful human enterprise, but scientists can be just as blinded by their prejudices as anyone else.
As West points out in his reading, science is a wonderful human enterprise, but scientists can be just as blinded by their prejudices as anyone else.
Collins has gone so far as to label his fellow Christians in science who were skeptical of neo-Darwinism as “anti-scientific” and a “threat to America’s future”.
But as West explains, it’s actually Collins and others with similar views who prevent science from moving forward: “Far from being anti-science, dissenting views in the scientific community help science thrive by counteracting group think and sparking debates that can lead to fresh discoveries.”
West takes it a step further, explaining that the refining that occurs between dissent and consensus is the heart of the scientific enterprise. “It’s not too much to say that today’s dissenting opinion in science may well turn into tomorrow’s scientific consensus.” EN&V
